Roman Currency

Heads or Tails?

Numismatists refer to the two sides of a coin as the obverse and reverse. In the Republic the obverse of bronze coins displayed the head of a deity while the reverse showed the prow of a ship (rostrum) and its marking of value. Silver coins had the head of Roma on the obverse and the Dioscuri (the mythological twins Castor and Pollux) on the reverse. By the 1st century BC, Roman money had become politicized, as rich and ambitious individuals managed to have coinage issued with -- naturally -- their own images on the obverse.

The markings on each side changed again as the Empire grew and Roman world view evolved. As the empire and the importance of the emperor grew, coins became a useful vehicle for pro-Roman propaganda. Images of the Emperor of the obverse -- with an appropriate deity to match the emperor's nature on the reverse -- allowed inhabitants throughout the empire to glimpse their leader. Variations on this scheme included displays of architectural wonders and depictions of legends of Rome. The legendary founders, Romulus and Remus, became a popular image.

-- J. Walsh, 2001

Sources:

"Handbook to Life in Ancient Rome," Lesley Adkins and Roy A. Adkins. Oxford University Press, New York 1994.

"As the Romans Did," Jo-Ann Shelton. Oxford University Press, New York 1998.

"American Classical League Service Bureau: Roman Coinage", Herbert M Howe.