Victoriatus
Encyclopedia
The victoriatus was a silver coin
issued during the Roman Republic
from about 221 BC to 170 BC. The obverse of the coin featured the bust of Jupiter and the reverse featured Victory
placing a wreath upon a trophy with the inscription "ROMA" in exergue.
The coin originally weighed about 3.4 gram
s (3 scruples), meaning that it was half the value of the quadrigatus
, a coin weighing 6 scruples that was by this time no longer produced. The victoriatus was made of a more debased silver than the denarius
, which was introduced at about the same time. Hoard evidence indicates that the coin circulated in southern Italy and later Gaul, indicating that the coin was intended as replacement for the drachma or half-nomos
instead of as part of the normal Roman coin system. When first issued the victoriatus had a value of about 3/4ths of a denarius, however when the quinarius
was reintroduced in 101 BC with a similar type, it was valued at 1/2 a denarius. This indicates that victoriatii that were still in circulation at this time were worn and considered to be worth only half a denarius. The reintroduced quinarius was produced mainly for Cisalpine Gaul, were the victoriatus and imitations were popular. The reintroduced quinarius may have continued to be called a victoriatus, although there is no written evidence of this.
The name victoriatus is an ancient term, attested by several contemporary texts and inscriptions. The coin was known as a tropaikon (due to the trophy on the reverse) among Greek
speakers.
See also: Roman currency
.
Silver coin
Silver coins are possibly the oldest mass produced form of coinage. Silver has been used as a coinage metal since the times of the Greeks. Their silver drachmas were popular trade coins....
issued during the Roman Republic
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic was the period of the ancient Roman civilization where the government operated as a republic. It began with the overthrow of the Roman monarchy, traditionally dated around 508 BC, and its replacement by a government headed by two consuls, elected annually by the citizens and...
from about 221 BC to 170 BC. The obverse of the coin featured the bust of Jupiter and the reverse featured Victory
Victoria (mythology)
In ancient Roman religion, Victoria was the personified goddess of victory. She is the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Nike, and was associated with Bellona. She was adapted from the Sabine agricultural goddess Vacuna and had a temple on the Palatine Hill...
placing a wreath upon a trophy with the inscription "ROMA" in exergue.
The coin originally weighed about 3.4 gram
Gram
The gram is a metric system unit of mass....
s (3 scruples), meaning that it was half the value of the quadrigatus
Quadrigatus
The quadrigatus was a medium-sized silver coin produced by the Roman Republic during the 3rd century BC. The obverse featured a young janiform bust and the reverse featured Victory driving a quadriga , giving the coin its name, with the inscription "ROMA" below.The coin weighed about 6.8 grams ,...
, a coin weighing 6 scruples that was by this time no longer produced. The victoriatus was made of a more debased silver than the denarius
Denarius
In the Roman currency system, the denarius was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus...
, which was introduced at about the same time. Hoard evidence indicates that the coin circulated in southern Italy and later Gaul, indicating that the coin was intended as replacement for the drachma or half-nomos
Nomos
Nomos or Nomoi may refer to:* Nome , a subdivisions of Ancient Egypt* Nome , the administrative division immediately below the peripheries of Greece * law...
instead of as part of the normal Roman coin system. When first issued the victoriatus had a value of about 3/4ths of a denarius, however when the quinarius
Quinarius
thumb|right|A quinariusThe quinarius was a small silver Roman coin valued at half a denarius.The quinarius was struck for a few years, along with the silver sestertius, following the introduction of the denarius in 211 BC. At this time the quinarius was valued at 5 asses...
was reintroduced in 101 BC with a similar type, it was valued at 1/2 a denarius. This indicates that victoriatii that were still in circulation at this time were worn and considered to be worth only half a denarius. The reintroduced quinarius was produced mainly for Cisalpine Gaul, were the victoriatus and imitations were popular. The reintroduced quinarius may have continued to be called a victoriatus, although there is no written evidence of this.
The name victoriatus is an ancient term, attested by several contemporary texts and inscriptions. The coin was known as a tropaikon (due to the trophy on the reverse) among Greek
Greek language
Greek is an independent branch of the Indo-European family of languages. Native to the southern Balkans, it has the longest documented history of any Indo-European language, spanning 34 centuries of written records. Its writing system has been the Greek alphabet for the majority of its history;...
speakers.
See also: Roman currency
Roman currency
The Roman currency during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire consisted of coins including the aureus , the denarius , the sestertius , the dupondius , and the as...
.
Literature
- Michael CrawfordMichael Crawford (historian)Michael Hewson Crawford is a British ancient historian and numismatist.-Biography:Michael Crawford was born in Twickenham on 7 December 1939.He was educated at St Paul's School and Oriel College, Oxford , and the British School at Rome....
Roman Republican coinage (London: Cambridge University Press, 1974)