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Author Topic: Propaganda on Coins  (Read 6976 times)

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Offline Simon

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Propaganda on Coins
« on: August 29, 2003, 08:43:29 pm »
During an interesting discussion a few months back in “ Why So Crude.” We ran into many different views on what was the Byzantine empire itself.  It basically lead to the conclusion that the start of the Byzantine Empire was a philosophical date, depending on the point of view of the writer. Several separate events were considered as turning points from Roman to Byzantium but I personally took the view that Byzantine was not a different empire but just a 1500 year evolution of the Roman Empire. So my only reason to refer to it as Byzantium is to give a date range of the period of discussion and one of the questions that came up in the previous posting was regarding propaganda on coins, was the propaganda greater in the Imperial Roman era or Byzantine period?
Having been a collector of both time periods I believe the propaganda on Byzantine coins was more biased towards the position of the ruler instead of earlier Roman coins being more biased towards the individual ruler and he or she’s accomplishments. I am curios to what others think.
Another view from the original discussion was it was greater with Byzantine coins because of their religious significance.  The people of Byzantine were a deeply religious people probley the only country it could be compared to today would be the Vatican. It lead me to another question Was the coinage of Byzantine an attempt to influence the empire and its surrounding areas into Christian Beliefs or were the coins simply the product of a deeply religious civilization?
I would also love to see fellow collectors favorite coins of Roman and Byzantine propaganda.
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=5633 My main collection of Tetartera. Post reform coinage.

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #1 on: August 30, 2003, 04:59:39 am »
There's no doubt the Byzantines were deeply religious, as were most or all cultures at that time; our less religious societies these days are a historical anomaly. I haven't studied the period in any detail, but I suspect that they were trying to boost the imperial institution through religious propaganda. So emperors sprout haloes, the heavenly court is portrayed as a bigger and better version of the earthly one, Jesus is portrayed as an emperor sitting in state, and so on. Within that, you do get individuals at work; Pulcheria boosted her position by emphasising virginity.

I think you're right about the Roman period; these were essentially military dictators trying to boost their individual position; I'm not sure how much of an organised concept of the state they actually had.
Robert Brenchley

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Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #2 on: August 30, 2003, 09:07:10 am »
I can easily agree that the Basil position was promoted on coins most notable his devine right to rule ( Theophilus and Constantine, by the grace of God king of the Romans, The Despot John, the Palaeologus, by the grace of God, King of the Romans), however this type of inscription seems to be in the minority most of the inscriptions are more genericly religous without the mention of the Basil or only to mention the Basil needs Gods help or protection to rule. This is easy to see just check Sears list of inscriptions.

Byzantium was more religous than any other nation that I know,  From all of my studies it appears to be almost impossible to seperate religon from any aspect of Byzantine Life. However, I wonder if the Byzantine was attempting to influence other surrounding nations to become Christian with their currency. How far would have a Byzantine coin actually circulated?
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Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #3 on: August 30, 2003, 09:14:24 am »
I did forgett to mention a series of the latter coinage that does visually promote the Basil as a divine choice. These coins depict the Emperor being crowned by Christ or Mary.
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Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #4 on: August 30, 2003, 10:44:34 am »
Ok, take this example from the catalogue. Note the similarity between the emperor's image and Christ's, along with Christ's image on the coin, lending the appearance of divine authority to it. Its subtle, subliminal propaganda, but the empire seems to have been full of it, not only on the coins, but in the churches as well. Everywhere you went, the emperor was portrayed as comparable with God.

It's perfectly true that you couldn't draw a dividing line between the sacred and the secular, but that's a modern. Western development which would be anachronistic anywhere at this period.

Nicephorus III, Botaniates, 24 March 1078 - 4 April 1081 A.D.

4870. Electrum histamenon nomisma (syphate), S 1881, VF, cracked 4.37g, 31.8mm, 180°, Constantinople mint; obverse Christ seated facing on a throne without back, wearing numbus cruciger, pallium and colobium, holds book of gospels in left hand and raises right hand in benediction, IC - XC on sides of nimbus, all inside double border; reverse +NIKHFR DEC TW ROTANIAT, Nicephorus standing facing on footstool, bearded wearing crown and loros, holding labarum with cross on shaft and globus cruciger, all inside double border; ex Woolslayer collection, very scarce, $200

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Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #5 on: August 30, 2003, 11:35:31 am »
We could start a whole new disscusion just on the Emperors cloths alone, the religous significance of each article, however I would not agree with your example as being equal but as being chosen by divine wishes to be in charge of the empire.

Here is an example of a tetarteron that has the emperor being crowned by Christ. Not as equals but chosen.

Andronicus I 1183-1185 , AE Tetarteron S-1986 , The Virgin stg. facing on dias, nimbate and wearing pallium and maphorium, She holds before her nimbate head of infant Christ.  Rev Christ bearded with Nimbus cr. ( on R.) and Andronicus( on l.) both stg facing , Christ crowning emperor
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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #6 on: August 30, 2003, 11:45:59 am »
Propaganda on Byzantine coins was by far much more pictoral than those of the earlier Roman series.  BUT, on the other hand, I believe Roman coins held much more blatant propaganda than those of Byzantium.  Look at the coins of many of the later emperors - especially those after Adrianople - directly after Adrianople they minted coins saying thing like "SALVS REIPUBLICAE" and "SECVRITAS REIPUBLICAE" - Health of the Republic, Saftey of the Republic.  These coins were minted for the sole purpose of making people "feel better" or "feel safer".  I didn't have an ounce truth in it, but since the only people reading the coins would be far, far away from the Eastern front, they wouldn't know the truth.

On the note of Byzantine depictions of Christ; I don't believe it was used as a sort of "conversion" attempt at all.  Look at Papal medals - about 80-95% have depictions of things in the Bible.  Was this a conversion attempt?  No.  A simple picture such as this couldn't even slightly alter one's religious perception - especially if they had been wit hit their entire lives.  It was used rather as a "signature" of the Vatican, just as the religious depictions of Christ on Byzantine coins were almost a 'signature' or Byzantium.  It was a tool to portray their faith, not impose it on the surrounding area.

Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #7 on: August 30, 2003, 12:14:49 pm »
I didn't say equal, but comparable. To be a bit more precise, I think the emperor and his court were being depicted as the earthly 'shadow' of an ultimate heavenly reality, and as being intimitely connected with it. To do the will of the emperor was the next best thing to doing the will of God; to defy him was to defy the God who put him there.
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Offline Alex

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #8 on: August 30, 2003, 04:34:45 pm »
Aren't we a bit biased by the fact that we are christian too?  Fact that the byzantines populated their coins with crosses, saints and of course Christ and Mary is nothing unnatural, but we might feel less religious because we dont place such images on our coins and religion isnt as important as it used to be (for some of us anyway, especially city people)

As for the old romans, most of their coins depict a deity as well, and the legend is related to that deity.  Coins entirely dedicated to the emperor, or to a social event are more likely isolate exceptions if one compares the output to the usual issues of religious coinage.   Romans were actually religious beyond logic, since it indeed is illogical to stop or change an essencial military operation just because of a thunder or misflying bird! I think these mistakes (by more modern reasoning) were much eliminated in the byzantine era.  The ways in which our God speaks to us are much more obscure and harder and scarcer to see than those of the Roman Gods.


Offline Robert_Brenchley

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #9 on: August 30, 2003, 06:27:58 pm »
I try not to let my vision be clouded; I may be Christian but my wife is actually Muslim. OK, we both worship the same God in very similar ways, and maybe its not really that different from the religiosity of the Roman world in some ways. But we live in a world where religion doesn't play that great a part in most of the dsecisions we make, and that's a vital difference. Even those who insist that they pray about every decision seem to end up with God telling them what they want to hear; nobody tells Parliament it can't pass a law today for religious reasons, because somebody claims to have seen lightning. That's an enormous difference.
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Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #10 on: August 30, 2003, 08:54:57 pm »
First of all Robert I stand corrected  :-[, you did not say equal and your point is very valid they did think the Basils word was God approved I know this to be true from my readings I just did not associate it with the coin you used as an example. The Basils costume was elaborate based on earlier Roman traditions and of course new ones picked up on the way.

Alex I was not comparing which of the two time periods was more religious, of course the early Romans were divided and mixed and worshipped many Gods it is apparent on allot of their coins, however the early Roman currency did mention the accomplishments of the Emperor, his victories, his integrity and even Julia Measa ,a Grandmother, issued a coin regarding her virginity, they even used their Deities to help send a propaganda message. This is completely unknown in latter Byzantine coins, no victories, no bragging, just pure and simple praise and worship of God, Christ, Mary. In fact this is probley why the coins are less collected and are considered to be boring except by the die hards. ;)  The point I am trying to make is none of the imagery used on Byzantine coins ( after Heraculi )sends any message other than worship for their God or prayer for guidance or  ( Even the iconoclastic period.) this could not be said of the Roman Imperial coinage.


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Offline Rugser

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #11 on: August 30, 2003, 09:04:01 pm »
This is a classical example of propaganda of the economic politics of the government.
With this Caligola coin in the 40 AD it communicates to the empire that it has abolished a tax.
 After the civic war Augustus had put a tax of the 1.00% on all the sales.
Tiberius had removed a half and Caligola with this coin abolishes the 0.50% residual.

D/ C CAESAR DIVI AVG PRON AVG- To the center beret of the liberty between SC
R/ COS TERT PON M TRP III PP- To the RCC center
RCC= Remissa ducentesima- 1/ 200= 0.5%
it has chosen the "quadrant," the smaller fraction, for give better penetration to the news.
ser

Offline Rugser

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #12 on: August 30, 2003, 09:04:29 pm »
r

Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #13 on: August 30, 2003, 09:29:31 pm »
Cool Coin Rugser, It reminds me that currency was also used like the newspaper or tv of its day, probley the quickest  offical way to inform people the tax had been repealed.In fact I bet the coin was almost as fast as the speed of sound ( word of mouth.)  ;D
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Offline vercingetorix

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #14 on: August 31, 2003, 04:58:33 pm »
It's very difficult to say wether the byzantine propaganda on coins is greater than the roman one. Some of our friends here gave a few examples of political, religious and economical early roman propaganda. Talking about religion only we have to keep in mind the major distinction between roman and byzantine religion-multiple gods vs one god. We have twenty coins with twenty gods and twenty coins with a single god- of course the propaganda is more powerful.
And Alex, the dieties on roman coins sent a different message-each god had a different personalized story and symbols and they appeared at the right time on coins according to the empire's situation at the time. In the byzantine period it was another type of message sent by the religious image on coins. By definition a monotheist religion has a stronger power to unite people than a politheist religion. In the roman empire you could adore any god basically, even local gods in conquered teritories.
I think a very interesting question to ask is: Why did byzantines introduce the anonymous follis and why in late X cent. by Ioan Tzimiskes?
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Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #15 on: August 31, 2003, 08:38:47 pm »
Vercingetorix, the period of the anonymous follies was not just a time of religious coins it was time when a lot of religious art was created, this was a direct reaction to the end of the iconoclast movement when supporters of it had destroyed a massive amount of  religious art. The return of religious portraits in coin and its society in general was basically the Byzantine Empire redecorating itself. :) You can easily find proof of this examining the tremendous amount of Byzantine art of this period; you will find it more than plentiful.
 Also remember Family coins had not totally disappeared they were mostly available only in the silver and gold denominations so things hadn’t changed as much as the follies leads people to believe.
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Offline vercingetorix

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #16 on: September 01, 2003, 08:37:49 am »
It was a time of religious coins. Silver was in small quantities and common people used bronze.Basicaly I agree about the iconoclast influence, but in 970 it had been a while after the iconoclasm ended and its influence is more shown on the portrait style than the decision itself of minting such coins. I think there are multiple elements that conductut to such an economic and propagandistic measure. Right now  comes  to my mind the way Ioan Tzimiskes became emperor-he killed Nikephor Phocas in Saint Sophia on 25 December during the Christmas ceremony. Nevertheless, he was a religious man, so this act must have had a serious impact on his conscience.
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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #17 on: September 01, 2003, 09:00:32 am »
I think Simon's question is bit incorrect...
Both of those emporiums had long enough period of time to exist and therefore we can talk abt. one or other period of those emporiums when propaganda was more developed than ordinary. In Caesar- Pompeii-M.Antonius era coins were tools of PROPAGANDA. Or take for example. 3 century when issuing of coins WAS matter of pure PROPAGANDA (especially after Gallienus famous "invention"); or Phocas - Heraclius - Constans era when at least from Phocas point of view it was pure PROPAGANDA to change back to recognizable portrait.
Later appearance of Christ might be also tied (my opinion) not only with ending of iconoclast but also with try to baptize Slavs; Bulgars; Hungarians and etc. and receive those tribes under Constantinople sphere of influence (and not under Roman one) using monetary also as tool of  PROPAGANDA.
So, I believe we can not dispute which Imperium did use coins more as tools of propaganda, but rather which period coins (without differentiate of emporium; or if you like you can later count under which Imperium there were more those periods) can be seen as tool of PROPAGANDA
:)

Offline Simon

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #18 on: September 01, 2003, 10:13:20 am »
Thanks to you all for participating in this discussion, I actually didn’t come up with the question It was something that came up in a previous discussion that perplexed me, I had never imagined that the Byzantine coins with their lack of diversity would be considered more propaganda oriented than the Roman coins but I will now agree that especially in the twilight time of the Byzantine empire that they were trying to send a message to the surrounding peoples, however, I will not agree that it was more than Roman days because of the blatant untruths depicted on the coinage of that time versus a long steady line of religous coins.  As for the anonymous Coinage, good point V the guilt was probley a big reason if not the main reason for the start of the series, but the time must have been right and the coinage popular because of the length of time the series ran.

Best Regards,

Simon
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Offline vercingetorix

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Re:Propaganda on Coins
« Reply #19 on: September 01, 2003, 03:17:35 pm »
Of course, this could be the basic reason for minting christ-image coins but an interesting fact was that it continued after Tzimiskes which let us to believe this coins were thrown on the market on solid ground. It lasted for about 100 years. This has to be related to the Byzantine Commonwealth (read Obolenski, The Byzantine Commonwealth) a very ambitios atempt from the byzantine state to claim its protection on newly baptised balcanic nations. After a common religion, common institutions, it's only natural and welcome to have a common coin and what would be best than an image with Christ; also a very diplomatic measure-the Balcanic states and not only them, but the newly (re)conquered teritories in East and West during Tzimiskes-Constantin VIII period, would  have to feel some autonomy from the Byzantine Empire and a sense of common religion with the conqueror.
 
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