FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Numismatic and History Discussion Forums => Roman Coins Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Tacitus on September 19, 2019, 08:51:56 pm

Title: Mark Antony and the bronze revolution
Post by: Tacitus on September 19, 2019, 08:51:56 pm
In this paper, the author will attempt to argue that Antony’s monetary policy in the East represented a real ‘revolution’, a turning point for the bronze coinage produced and circulating in the Eastern provinces of the Empire. In the iconography and the weight of bronze coins, he and his magistrates introduced radical changes that became the norm over the course of the Augustan period.  The thesis is that the innovations implemented in full by Augustus had already been introduced by Antony, making him the individual responsible for the ‘bronze revolution’ generally attributed to Augustus. 

In support of this thesis, the author will first focus on iconographical innovations introduced in the 40s BC both by bronze civic coinages in Greece and Asia and by Roman official coinages such as the fleet coinage.

In the second part of this paper the author will argue that Antony’s years in the East (from 42 BC to the battle of Actium) introduced bilingual Roman denominational marks on Greek and Roman bronze coinage, new denominations and weight standards in order to establish a metrological correlation between the two monetary systems. Several metrological innovations introduced in these years, such as a non-silver sestertius and the quartuncial standard, became the norm in the Augustan Age.

In sum, Antony’s monetary policy in the East was characterized by a reciprocal adaptation of Greek and Roman monetary systems from both the iconographic and the metrological point of view. The success of this attempt, epigraphically exemplified by the Thessalian diorthoma, is reflected in the permanence of several of these innovations over subsequent years.


https://www.academia.edu/39115637/Mark_Antony_and_the_bronze_revolution?email_work_card=title
Title: Re: Mark Antony and the bronze revolution
Post by: Jay GT4 on September 19, 2019, 09:03:58 pm
I have always believed this!  I look forward to reading it.  Thanks!