ANCIENT COIN PROJECT

Money=pecunia in Latinpecus, pecoris, n.

Herd, cattle, beast=pecus or pecoris in Latin

Money

Animals and Products as Forms of Money

Advantages?

Disadvantages?

The Making of a Coin:---authority to issue and guarantee coin’s worth

---possession of metal

---ability to refine metal to desired purity

---tools/techniques to fabricate coin from metal

POSSESSION OF METAL

Juno MonetaRoman goddess of the mint

---a temple toJuno Moneta was dedicated on the citadel of Rome In 344 B.C.

---an adjoining building contained the mint of Roman state.

A Little Coining History

The Making of a Coin:

Mints in the Roman Empire

THE MINTING OF ROMAN COINS

---casting in a mold

---striking

CAST BRONZE COINAGE: 5TH C.- MID 2ND C. BCE

5. Arrow or leaf ,6th-5th c.

1. Aes rude, central Italy, 3rd c.

2. AE dolphin money, Olbia, 5-4th c.

3. Aes grave, wheel coins

4. Tooth-shaped, Akragas, Sicily, 5th c.http://dougsmith.ancients.info/

MAKING A ROMAN COIN

funnel-shaped bronze for pouring liquid metal into cast

ancient coin mold

THE MAKING OF A COIN:TOOLS/TECHNIQUES TO FABRICATE COIN FROM METAL

---flan---dies (obverse & reverse)---tongs---striking process---coin rotation

Medieval Striking Rig(but set up is similar to aRoman rig)

Display,Smithsonian Institution,Washington, D.C.

Much Slave Labor RequiredCelatores (signatores) = die engravers cut master die from which working dies were made; dies lasted for 10,000 – 50,000 strikesSuppostores = “placers”Malleatores = “strikers”

DIES

BYZANTINE DIE

Byzantine coin

Islamic die

Forgers’ Dies

1-Sestertius2-Mark Antony3-Republican

How It’s Made

To give you an idea on how ancient coins were made.

Coin Denominations

Roman denominationsduring the Republic

What the information stood for

The Kentucky QuarterWhat similarities and differences do you see with ancient coins?

COUNTERFEITING

Fouree: the coatingof a copper coin witha silver wash.

Serrated Edges: perhaps used to prove coin was not a fouree and edges not shaved

NOW….CREATE YOUR OWN COINSTEP 1: roughly design the two possible sides of your coin (min. 4 diff. designs.) and collect info about your coin and the designs.STEP 2: sketch the two sides of your coin and write a description about it.STEP 3: finalize your coins design and edit your description.STEP 4: create a colorful display of your coin with a typed description.STEP 5: create physical version of your coin.

JUST TO GIVE YOU AN IDEA

Samples of Roman CoinsThis video could give you a good idea of what you want to put on your coin.

Convert to ancient Roman year system.

Convert to Roman numerals