Hellenic and Roman Societies online courses

Dr Peter Guest

Roman Coinage in Britain

Wednesday 17, 24 September, 1, 8, 15 October,  6-7.30pm (UK time)

Coinage was a defining feature of ancient Roman society and culture, and coins played a vital role in the expansion and longevity of the Roman Empire. Roman coins are also very common finds from provinces such as Britannia and many thousands of these objects continue to be recovered, especially from excavations of Romano-British settlements and in hoards. Roman coins are unique among archaeological artefacts in that they were produced by the state in order to serve the state’s needs – the emperors’ coins were issued in order to pay for the costs of the army and the civil service, to facilitate trade and commerce, to distribute imperial largesse, as well as to store wealth. Although Roman coinage changed significantly from the 1st to the 4th centuries, in theory Rome’s currency always consisted of a tri-metallic system (gold, silver and bronze), composed of interchangeable denominations of different monetary values.

This online course will explore Roman coinage in Britain, both as numismatic objects and as archaeological artefacts. How Roman coinage changed over time, where they are found and what they tell us about life in Roman Britain are key themes that will be explored during the 5 sessions.

For more details and to book:

https://www.hellenicandromanlibrary.org/Events/Event-Registration/EventId/20

Watch the sessions live, or catch up by watching the recordings later at your own convenience.