IIIVIR A.A.A.F.F.

Latin abbreviation: Triumvirs auro, argento, aere, flando, feriundo - the triuvirs for coining and stamping gold silver and brass coinaige.


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A A A F F  Auro, Argento, Aere, Flando, Feriundo. This alludes to the monetal triumvirs, appointed for the coining and stamping of gold, silver, and brass money of the Romans. It was their office to take care that the public coinage should not be counterfeited, nor its material adulterated, nor its proper weight diminished. On a consular denarius of Cossutius, one of Julius Caesar 's moneyers, we read, C  COSSVTIVS MARIDIANVS, followed by A A A F F  in the field. There is also a second brass of Augustus, which bears on its obverse, CAESAR AVGVSTVS TRIBVNI POTES. (Tribunitiâ potestate); and on the reverse, C  PLOTIVS RVFVS IIIVIR A A A F F,  In the middle S C. 
This C  Plotius (or Plautius) was one of those triumvirs of the mint, who, by the invariable inscription of the above characters, appear to have made themselves officially answerable, as it were, for the genuineness of the money, struck by their authority. There is also a second brass, on the obverse legend of which is CAESAR AVGVST PONT MAX  TRIBVNI POT (Pontifex Maximus) with head of Augustus, and on the reverse M |SALVIVS OTHO| IIIVIR A A A F F. |Salvius Otho| was another of those moneyers of the Republic, whose name is associated, in like manner, with the issues of gold, silver, and brass, in the early coinage of Augustus. With regard to the expression flando, feriundo, the former word doubtless was intended to designate the process of preparing the globular lumps of metal forming the material of the coin; whilst the latter word shews that they were submitted to the stroke of the hammer, for the purpose of receiving the impress of the die. These were the two principal operations of the ancient mintage. For other specimens of this class of the Consular coinage in silver and brass, see PARENS PATRIAE. See also Moneta.

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