| Paying for goods and services in Rome didn't | | | | were reduced in weight and the bronze sestertius |
| start with the coin but certainly ended there. | | | | was introduced. Because this coin was larger in |
| Before the common use of the coin was an | | | | size, Nero's die-engravers could make images |
| economy that operated on the bartering of | | | | more realistic. |
| livestock. Then, came the early coinage in the | | | | During the "Year of the Four Emperors" during |
| form of bronze bars around 289 B.C. From here | | | | A.D. 69, Rome's prosperity and achievements |
| things began to change with the creation of | | | | began showing up on coins again. The capture of |
| 'change' and it never turned back. | | | | Jerusalem and the construction of the Flavian |
| Roman coinage started with the Greeks. As | | | | Amphitheater were featured on coins. Other coins |
| Roman armies marched southward and | | | | honored Minerva, the warrior goddess and later |
| encountered silver coinage within the Greek | | | | coins honored Jupiter, the supreme god of all - |
| colonies, the appearance of silver began to show | | | | both deities Domitian admired during his term as |
| up in Rome's history. From here, Roman history | | | | emperor. |
| would show itself on its coinage throughout time. | | | | As Rome continued with stability for almost a |
| To start, the earliest bronze coins had featured | | | | century, coins were characterized with liberty, |
| gods such as Janus, Mercury and Apollo. In 44 B.C. | | | | prosperity, equity and justice. Women even began |
| Caesar was the first to place a portrait of himself | | | | appearing on coins with garments and hairstyles |
| on the silver denarius and was the first living | | | | showing off the affluence of the age. |
| Roman to do so. With this, he started a tradition | | | | After the age of peace, when emperors began to |
| in which Hellenistic monarchs began portraying | | | | come and go, the value of the denarius began to |
| themselves on coinage while they were alive. | | | | lose its value. When Nero ruled in A.D. 54-68, the |
| When Antony and Octavian divided the Roman | | | | coin dropped to 50 percent of its value. By the |
| world into eastern and western sectors, coinage | | | | time Philip the Arab reigned in A.D. 244-249 the |
| served as propaganda as each tried gaining power | | | | denarius was almost rendered obsolete. Silver and |
| over each other. Coins celebrated the | | | | gold also became devalued. Reformation of the |
| achievements abroad whereby Octavian or | | | | coinage didn't come back until Diocletian in A.D. |
| Augustus, as he was later named, stabilized the | | | | 284. Diocletian divided the empire into eastern and |
| frontiers of the empire. The major imperial mints | | | | western halves with a senior Augustus and a |
| issued gold and silver coins featuring Augustus' | | | | junior Caesar in charge of each. He remapped the |
| achievements, military victories, peace and | | | | districts and redefined Roman coinage. In A.D. 294 |
| prosperity whereas bronze emphasized his civil | | | | he minted gold coins at 60 to the pound, silver |
| powers and honors. Therefore, gold and silver | | | | coins of nearly pure silver at 96 to the pound and |
| were often circulated among the wealthier classes | | | | several sets of bronze coins in varying size and |
| and the bonze became the civil and military | | | | value. But it wasn't until the age of Constantine |
| standard. | | | | who made the major and final innovation of |
| During Nero's reign, the coinage changed from | | | | Roman coinage. The coin became the realm of |
| idealistic images on coins to more realistic | | | | which payment for taxes was accepted and the |
| portraits. Later, the need for increased funds to | | | | gold standard was created and remained for |
| rebuild Rome after fires in A.D. 64, led to a | | | | another 700 years. |
| monetary reform. The aureus and the denarius | | | | |