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Greek and Roman Coins > Coinage Systems > Flashcards

Coinage Systems Flashcards

STILL TO ADD phoc and myt, olbia/ptols/byz and chalc, cistophoric?

1
Q

When was the Egyptian closed currency system established?

A

under Ptolemy I Soter who ruled from 366 to 282 BCE

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2
Q

How were the coins in Egypt’s closed currency system different? Motivation for this alteration?

A

still silver tetradrachms but on a lighter weight standard
Saving silver AND profiting from exchange rates being paid by travelling tradesmen

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3
Q

What did the coins in Egypt’s closed currency system look like?

A

Obverse: mostly Portrait of Ptolemy I
Reverse: eagle l. standing on thunderbolt; around, legend of ΠΤΟΛΕΛΙΟΥ ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ.

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4
Q

What happened to the Egyptian closed currency system under Roman rule?

A

continued to exist, suggesting an autonomy of the region OR the general approach of Roman oversight, particularly apparent here because of the unusual circumstances

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5
Q

What is a koinon understood to have been?

A

organised federal state or politically associated group of states
literally ‘common thing’

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6
Q

When was the Aetolian koinon est? Under what circumstances and possible motivations?

A

early 3rd cent BCE
Fight of Greeks against Macedonia and so collective coinage appears to have had an economic role in international payments and the payment of mercenaries being used by the states involved

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7
Q

What did the Aetolian koinon gold coinage look like?

A

Obv: Athena r. in Corinthian helmet; snake on helmet.
Rev: personification of Aetolia r. holding spear and Nike; to right, small icon of Artemis; on far left, monogram; to left, legend of AITΩΛΩN.

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8
Q

Around what was the Aetolian koinon centred?

A

Religious centre at Thermos - Apollo Thermos was chief deity of the koinon

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9
Q

What kind of groups were in the Aeotlian koinon?

A

loose ethnic communities, sharing a location

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10
Q

When was the second (major) Achaean League established? What was their main collective aim?

A

280 BCE
Oppose imposition by Rome

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11
Q

When does Sparta join Achean league? Signif?

A

192 BCE
League becomes the sole power of the Peloponnese

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12
Q

What did the coinage of the Ach League symbolise dually?

A

Unity of the League, with the iconographic continuity between states BUT ALSO autonomoy of these states with use of civic symbols

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13
Q

What did the Achaean league coinage look like?

A

silver coins
Obv: Zeus Homarius r.
Rev: monogram of alpha and chi; around, laurel wreath; civic icon

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14
Q

What was Achaean League centred on?

A

Sanctuary of Zeus Homarios, Aegium (meeting point and league deity)

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15
Q

What were the two main periods of minting for the Achean League coinage? Signif?

A

c192-188 BCE - The League fighting against Antiochus III
171-163 BCE - 3rd Macedonian War

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16
Q

Terminus ante quem for Lycian League est? Around how many Asia Minor states were involved?

A

c167 BCE (early second century is rough region of time)
20

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17
Q

What occurrence contributed to either the actual establishment or strengthening of the Lycian League?

A

Rome enforced freedom of Lycia from Rhodes’ dominance

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18
Q

What predated the Lycian League?

A

sense of unity among the Lycian states, reflected in a league of sorts between dynasts (till end of 4th cent latest) and shared reverse of triskeles on many dynasts of the area’s coins

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19
Q

What did the Lyc League silver coins look like?

A

Obv: Head of laureate Apollo r.; to right, civic symbol.
Rev: Lyre (kithara) in shallow incuse square. (added small images added to coins on l./r. of lyre

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20
Q

Name of Lycian League coinage as a result of its reverse design?

A

kitharephoroi (‘lyre-bearers’)

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21
Q

When and what was the change to appearance of Lycian league coinage?

A

1st cent BCE
LYKION moves to obverse and city names no longer appear AND standard drops

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22
Q

What is the best example of symmachy coinage we have from G? When was it minted?

A

ΣΥΝ coinage c405-400 BCE

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23
Q

Which 8 states were involved in the ΣΥΝ coinage?

A

Byzantium, Cyzicus, Lampascus, Ephesus, Samos, Iasus, Cnidus, and Rhodes

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24
Q

What are the different theories as to the motivations for the collective ΣΥΝ coinage minting?

A

(older) Alliance of Persian affiliated states who wanted to unite in opposition against Sp threat specifically post-B of Cnidus in 394 when Persians thoroughly beat Sps. Dates assoc w this idea were 391-90 BCE. Problems - all these states may not have been partic anti-spartan.
(m recent by KARWEISE) These states had become disillusioned w Greek alliance that had been taken over by Athens and its empire; Persians supported Sp.s (Lysander specif) financially; general pro-sp sentiment in aid of anti-athenianism in Asia Minor - this coinage represents this, w Lysander being who is represented by Herakles (tyrant slayer)

25
Q

What did the ΣΥΝ coinage look like?

A

silver
Obv: Herakliskos Drakonopnigon; ΣΥΝ legend.
Rev: civic symbol

26
Q

What standard were the ΣΥΝ coins minted on? Why?

A

Rhodian (reduced Chian)
Familiarity of the states with this standard and convertibility

27
Q

Using Karweise’s theory, around how long did the ΣΥΝ coinage last?

A

c405-400 BCE

28
Q

When was the first period of the Boeotian koinon? What 7 (Boeotian) states were involved? What distinguishes this period

A

last quart of 6th cent to mid-5th cent BCE
Thebes, Tanagra, Hyettos, Akraiphia, Koroneia, Mykalessos, and Pharai
polis representation was the first letter of state in legend on obverse’s shield

29
Q

When was second period of Boeotian koinon?

A

c457-c425 BCE

30
Q

How does Kraay explain the split betw first and second phases of Boeotian koinon coins?

A

occupation of Boeotia by Athens in 457

31
Q

What distinguishes the second phase of coins in the Boeotian koinon?

A

obverse bore only the typical shield
and reverse became civic symbols

32
Q

What state became dominant over the Boeotian koinon in late 5th cent to early fourth cent, then again c371-335? Evidence?

A

Thebes
Coins marked w symbols of the city e.g. Herakles and Dionysus

33
Q

What did the Boeotian koinon coins, minted again (after dom by Thebes) by mints themselves, look like?

A

1st phase -
Obv: typical shield
Rev: civic symbol plus city legend.
2nd phase -
Obv: typical shield
Rev: amphora; smaller, civic symbol; across, BOIΩ legend.

34
Q

What was period of final Thebes domination of Boeotian koinon?

A

c371-335 BCE (when the city fell)

35
Q

How does Mackil and van Alfen interpret the Boeotian koinon, actively challenging previous interps?

A

Economic network based on trade and military payments (old view: federal arrangement based on political links)

36
Q

What was the initial reason for many mints imitating the Corinthian pegasi type?

A

influence through mother-colony relationships providing a model for states’ first coinages

37
Q

What was the first major impetus for Corinthian collective minting? What 5 states were involved?

A

Corinth’s conflict against Corcyra and Athens
Corinth, Leucas, Epidamnus, Potidaea, and Ambracia

38
Q

What was the second major impetus for Corinthian collective minting? States that were involved?

A

mid fourth cent BCE, mission of Timoleon to re-establish democ in Syracuse
Leucas, Corcyra, Argos, Apollonia, Dyrrhachium, Anaktorion, and Thyrrheium PLUS Sicilian states

39
Q

The corinthian pegasi coop coinage is known as what?

A

metropolis-apoikia co-operative coinage

40
Q

What muddies the waters of co-op coinage inferred from the numis evidence?

A

Imitation of larger states’ coins/successful coins’ types was a common phenom in Greek world, that could have been motivated by political, aesthetic, and/or economical reasons.

41
Q

What is the numismatic term for a closed currency system? Definition of ccs?

A

epichoric system
all transactions that occurred in the state had to be done with the state’s official currency often on their own distinctive weight standard

42
Q

Advantages of a ccs?

A

-overvaluation of coins
-charging of a premium rate in the exchange of foreign coin for state’s

43
Q

When did Olbia pass it’s ccs decree? Restrictions laid out?

A

4th cent BCE
-only Olbian bronze and silver currency allowed in the city
-Cyzicene coinage allowed as a form of gold
-those who try to use foreign currency will be punished
-in order to obtain Olbian currency, foreigners would have to sell their coins

44
Q

Which two poleis managed the Bosphoran ccs? When?

A

Byzantium and Chalcedon.
240s-20s BCE

45
Q

Characteristics of the Bosphoran ccs coins?

A

Distinctive standard - stater at 13.2g.
obv: Demeter veiled head
rev: poseidon stood on rock, holding trident and aplustre

46
Q

What coinage was allowed to be used within Bosphoran ccs? Under what condition?

A

Attic or Ptol weight coins AS LONG AS either city had countermarked - this possibly retarrifed the coin as well as validated

47
Q

What does bosphoran ccs indicate more widely about logistics of a ccs?

A

short lived so indicates the difficult of maintaining such a system

48
Q

How did a ccs most often occur in AG? Example?

A

in a minor way, mixed in with a trade coinage of the city
Miletus - 3rd cent civic silver coins that were massively overvalued but still used as they got value from internal state validation and use.

49
Q

Name for Hellenistic money-changers? Main job?

A

trapezitai
conversion from foreign coin to bullion, in order for coins of different standards (there were many in hell G) to one used in context, to still be valuable

50
Q

Why was Ptol ccs especially unique?

A

a few of the hell kingdoms had ccs but Ptol one is best documented and appears most successful

51
Q

When did Ptol ccs begin? In what context?

A

306/5 BCE
When Ptolemy I was first declared basileus

52
Q

Features of ccs in Ptol Egypt?

A

silver coins were on reduced standard - 14.27g (comp to attic 17.25g)
new gold denomination - trichryson weighing 17.80g and valued at 60 silv drachms
gold:silver - 1:12 rather that 1:10 of rest of G world
large bronze coins minted in large quantities, esp popular in rural egypt

53
Q

In what five areas under Ptol control was the ccs enforced?

A

Cyrene, Syria and Phoenicia, Cyprus, and –
at least in the third century – parts of the Aegean and coastal Asia Minor

54
Q

As well as Ptol coins not being found outside territory, what other material evidence is there for ccs?

A

no attic-weight coins found in ptol hoards

55
Q

What is traditional view of Ptol motives behind ccs (that Thonemann disregards)? More convincing theory?

A

they were mercantilist, set on promoting exports
No native silver source thus amount of silver available for coins needed to be conserved hence lower weight and limitation on coins leaving the territory PLUS seclusion of the kingdom somewhat enabled the system

56
Q

Under what kingdom was the cistophoric coinage? Around when did it start?

A

Attalids
c167 BCE

57
Q

Characteristics of cistiphoric coins?

A

highly reduced standard - stater of a drachm at c3.05g
cista mystica obverse
worth 75% of an attic drachm

58
Q

How does Thonemann explain the motives of Attalids in organising ccs?

A

preserving silver available in the kingdom

59
Q

What literary evidence is there for cistophoroi ccs?

A

Cicero:
Brother is a governor in Asian province; his payment is in cistophori; C advises him to get it changed to denarii in order that, at the end of his tenure, he has currency that can be spent around the R Emp.
Also, C has large assets help in cistophori in Asia whihc could only be spent trhough a complex and obscure credit scheme.

Greek and Roman Coins (13 decks)

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