Moneyers of Augustus

[Jeremy W]

Does anyone know where there is a complete list of the known moneyers of Augustus?

THanks,

Jeremy

[Steve Minnoch]

I had this list knocking around, with a tiny bit of biographical info on some of them.  I think the dates come from RIC, but BMC (published much earlier) gives a different dating that I think is still preferred in some quarters, but I can't find what notes on that I had.

Steve

     P. Petronius Turpilianus  c.19 BC         
     L. Aquillius Florus  c.19 BC         
     M. Durmius  c.19 BC         
     Q. Rustius  c.19 BC (Ex S C)         
     Q. Aelius Lamia  c.18 BC         
     C. Marcius Censorinus  c.18 BC  Cos 8 BC       
     T. Quinctius Crispinus Sulpicianus  c.18 BC  Cos 9 BC  A lover of Julia     
     M. Sanquinius  c.17 BC         
     P. Licinius Stolo  c.17 BC         
     Ti. Sempronius Gracchus  c.17 BC    A lover of Julia and an author of tragedies     
     L. Mescinius Rufus  16 BC         
     L. Vinicius  16 BC  Cos 5 BC(?)       
     C. Antistius Vetus  16 BC  Cos 6 BC       
    C. Asinius Gallus  c.16 BC  Cos 8 BC       
     C. Cassius Celer  c.16 BC         
     C. Gallius Lupercus  c.16 BC         
     Cn. (Calpurnius) Piso Cn. F  c.15 BC  Cos 7BC  Governor of Syria tried for treason and the murder of Germanicus     
     L. Naevius Surdinus  c.15 BC         
     C. Plotius Rufus  c.15 BC         
     C. Marius C. F. Tro  c.13 BC         
     C. Sulpicius Platorinus  c.13 BC         
     C. Antistius Reginus  c.13 BC         
     Cossus Cornelius Lentulus  c.12 BC  Cos 1 BC       
     L. Lentulus  c.12 BC  Cos 3 BC       
     L. Caninius Gallus  c.12 BC  Cos 2 BC       
     (L. Aelius) Lamia  c.9 BC  Cos AD 3       
     Silius  c.9 BC         
     Annius  c.9 BC         
     (Ap? Claudius) Pulcher  c.8 BC         
     (Statilius)Taurus  c.8 BC         
     (Livineius) Regulus  c.8 BC         
     P. Lurius Agrippa  c.7 BC         
     M. Maecilius Tullus  c.7 BC         
     M. Salvius Otho  c.7 BC    Grandfather of the emperor Otho     
     A. Licinius Nerva Silianus  c.6 BC  Cos AD 7       
     Sex. Nonius Quinctilianus  c.6 BC  Cos AD 8       
     L. Valerius Messalla Volusus  c.6 BC  Cos AD 5       
     (L.) Apronius  c.5 BC  Cos suff AD 8  Prominent senator, daughter famously murdered     
     Galus  c.5 BC         
     (Valerius) Messalla  c.5 BC         
     Sisenna  c.5 BC         
     P. Betilienus Bassus  c.4 BC         
     C. Naevius Capella  c.4 BC         
     C. Rubellius Blandus  c.4 BC         
     L. Valerius Catullus  c.4 BC     

[Jeremy W]

THank you so much, I have been searching for a list like this for a while.  I have yet to buy RIC 1 or BMC 1.

THanks again,

Jeremy

[rick fox]

A question I always had about the moneyers was, was it their money they were minting for the Empire?  Or were they official mint personnel?

[Steve Minnoch]

The normal moneyers (the tresviri monetalies, sometimes on coins marked IIIVIR or IIIVIR AAAFF) were junior magistrates, probably in the year subsequent to holding the quaestorship.  They were part of a group of the same rank, other groups being designated to look after roads, prisons etc.

Under the Republic they were probably aged about 30, but were a lot younger under the Empire as Augustus reduced age requirements for all the magistrates.  Socially, the were equestrians but normally of senatorial families - normally within a year or two of holding the moneyership they joined the senate as quaestors.  Some issues under the Republic (and possibly that of Q. Rustius under Augustus) were struck by higher magistrates, (Quaestors, Curule Aediles and Praetors are all labelled on some republican issues).

The money they struck belonged to the state.  The moneyers were probably just implementing senatorial policy, and were in the job to get experience for future higher office.

Steve

[rick fox]

Yeah but they got to put their name on the money... something the senators themselves never got to do.  I am now very curious as to what made them so popular to Augustus that he would allow them to put their name on the empires money.  I mean let's face it, he wasn't a shy fellow.  One of Augustus's more "famous" edict was that no army officer (other than Agrippa) could hold a triumph.  They could get the triumph regala but not hold the triumph.  No officer could be above the princeps.  Why then would he allow a select group of people to put their name on money?

[Steve Minnoch]

The earliest college of moneyers under Augustus (if you trust the RIC dating, and the foundation of it doesn't seem very strong for the most part) issued half-and half types (they struck gold and silver only)... that is, either a portrait of Augustus and a personal type on the reverse, or a personal type on the obverse and a reverse referring to Augustus. 

The personal types never referred to the moneyer's personal achievements: there are some uncertain references, references to family history and one pun (Florus strikes coins with a flower on the reverse).  The "Augustus" types are either the portrait, or types that refer to his personal achievements.  After that first college, there is only a tiny handful of personal types, and Augustus usually gets both sides of the gold and silver. 

On the bronze the moneyers only have their names circling the "S C" and nothing more, compared to standard obverse types celebrating Augustus.  So it is safe to say that the coinage signed by moneyers reflects his dominance.

It's impossible to prove, but I think the reappearance of the names was part of his whole programme of presenting his principate as being a restoration for restoring the monarchy - the old Republican tradition of having mint magistrates sign the coinage was just one more thing he could point to as evidence, spurious as it was. 

Steve

[Steve Minnoch]

I just thought I'd link this in: Cassius Dio makes a brief mention of the moneyers:  (Dio liv 26 6-7), in the context of making the Vigintiviri (the 20 men, of whom 3 were moneyers) a cumpolsory part of the career path for someone to enter the Senate.

Cassius Dio 54

Steve