Buildings on Roman Coins Exhibit

This exhibit examines the role of the architecture depicted on Roman coinage. Coins were the most widely circulating medium between those in positions of power and the people they governed. They were a means to highlight political accomplishments, celebrate military victories and for general self promotion for propaganda purposes. They represented how an emperor or a leader wished to be seen and remembered. In line with this, buildings on coins cannot be taken at face value to truthfully represent their real-life counterparts. They do, however, tell us a great deal about the political agendas of those who commissioned them. 

The Julio-Claudian Family

The Julio-Claudian emperors were the first family to rule the Roman Empire in a successive line during the imperial period. This dynasty held power between 27 BC and AD 68. Regularly reminding Roman citizens of their leader's competence and great achievements, and also calling to mind how much he cared for them and kept them safe, was a key aspect of maintaining power in Rome during this time. Buildings were often erected by the emperor to commemorate his greatest accomplishments. Displaying the images of these monuments on coins was a means by which a ruler could keep his deeds relevant and circulating in people’s minds. 

The Coins

The architectural types on the coins of the early empire, i.e. from Augustus to Nero, are not generally commemorative, but rather serve to promote various imperial policies. For example, Augustus used his coinage to demonstrate his great pietas towards the gods, largely in reference to his restoration of many temples and monuments throughout Rome. Our Augustan coin, depicting an altar that may have been located in the Ara Pacis, demonstrates his promotion of peace and piety. Conversely, Marc Antony used his coinage to celebrate his victories in the civil war, at a time when peace had only recently been achieved and the costs were still fresh in everyone’s mind, literally as well as figuratively. The later Julio-Claudian coins in our exhibition all show the emperors following Augustus’ example by displaying buildings associated with peace: the Ara Providentia for Tiberius; and the Janus Temple for Nero. It is clear that each one of these coins was used to promote the issuer’s political achievements and public programs. It was only during the later years that the political agenda changed, whereby greater emphasis was placed on the fruits of peace rather than the celebration of war. This was clearly due to a change in the political landscape in Rome that reveals a shift away from civil unrest to a much more steady line of succession that preserved the peace. 

The Significance 

Many ancient sources tend to disagree and contradict one another. It is widely accepted that many of these written texts differ due to bias and the large gaps in time between when the events happened and when the author wrote about them. While coins, too, are not exempt from bias, it is evident that few other sources so accurately display the intentions and messages of an emperor or leader himself. Surviving coins are crucial primary sources and inform our understanding of how a leader or emperor publicly presented himself.

Afterword

Coins can be confusing to understand at first glance! If you would like to learn more on how to "read" a coin, or if you would like to know more about Roman coins in general, then please click on the "further information" tab. If you are interested in reading the sources that we have used in this exhibition, mousing over the reference number will display the shorthand reference, and clicking on the reference number will take you to the bibliography section. We hope that you enjoy our exhibition!