The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage
From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan

A new account of the role of coinage in the finances and economy of the Roman Empire.

Kevin Butcher (Author), Matthew Ponting (Author), Jane Evans (Contributions by), Vanessa Pashley (Contributions by), Christopher Somerfield (Contributions by)

9781108816380, Cambridge University Press

Paperback / softback, published 28 May 2020

841 pages, 227 b/w illus. 24 colour illus. 118 tables
24.5 x 17 x 5 cm, 1.5 kg

The fineness of Roman imperial and provincial coinage has been regarded as an indicator of the broader fiscal health of the Roman Empire, with the apparent gradual decline of the silver content being treated as evidence for worsening deficits and the contraction of the supply of natural resources from which the coins were made. This book explores the composition of Roman silver coinage of the first century AD, re-examining traditional interpretations in the light of an entirely new programme of analyses of the coins, which illustrates the inadequacy of many earlier analytical projects. It provides new evidence for the supply of materials and refining and minting technology. It can even pinpoint likely episodes of recycling old coins and, when combined with the study of hoards, hints at possible strategies of stockpiling of metal. The creation of reserves bears directly on the question of the adequacy of revenues and fiscal health.

Part I. General Introduction: 1. Roman silver coinage and monetary history
2. Roman silver coins and monetary stability
3. A science on the margins of numismatics: the history of metrological and metallurgical studies
4. Metrology and hoard analysis
5. The issues of 'fineness', of instrumental analysis and of data quality
6. Metallography and the production of denarius blanks
7. The material sampled
Part II. The Denarius: 8. The Julio-Claudian background
9. The reforms of Nero, AD 64–68
10. The Civil Wars, AD 68–69: Rome
11. The Western denarii of the Civil Wars
12. From Vespasian to the reform of Domitian, AD 69–82
13. The reforms of Domitian
14. From Nerva to the reform of Trajan, AD 96–99
15. The denarius: summary and conclusions
Part III. Provincial Silver Coinages: 16. Cistophori of Asia
17. Other provincial silver of Asia Minor
18. Caesarea in Cappadocia
19. Syria
20. Egypt
21. Provincial silver coinages: summary and conclusions
22. Summary of conclusions.

Subject Areas: Coins, banknotes, medals, seals [numismatics WCF], Metals technology / metallurgy [TDM], Classical Greek & Roman archaeology [HDDK], Classical history / classical civilisation [HBLA1], Ancient history: to c 500 CE [HBLA]