Editing Roman Republican currency (section)

==Coinage and political messages==
[[File:Crawford 187-1-Reverse.jpg|thumb|left|150px|New denarius reverse design: Luna driving a biga, 169–158 BC. RRC 187/1]]
Eventually a new reverse appeared, first [[Luna (goddess)|Luna]] driving a ''[[biga (chariot)|biga]]'' (two horse chariot) in 194–190 BC, and then [[Victoria (mythology)|Victory]] driving a biga in 157 BC – thought to refer to the final defeat of [[Perseus of Macedon]] at the [[battle of Pydna]] by [[Lucius Aemilius Paulus Macedonicus|Lucius Aemilius Paulus]] in 168 BC.<ref>Burnett 1987:22</ref> These Victory "bigati" became the most common type of denarius. Denarii were marked with special symbols (such as a star or an anchor) from very shortly after their introduction and soon monograms indicating the tresviri monetales (mint masters, often called moneyers, that were responsible for the issue) were on the coins. In some cases the symbols are "punning". The example reverse shown to the left (RRC 187/1 showing Luna driving a biga) is one such; a shell symbol appears above the horses along with the letters "PVR" below. The shell is thought to be a [[murex]] shell; this was the source of [[Tyrian purple]] (in Latin: purpureo) and this, along with the letters, is thought to refer to a Furius Purpureo.<ref>Crawford 1974:238</ref> This type of reference to the moneyers became more and more explicit, and eventually developed into self-advertising to further the political career of the moneyers.

[[File:Crawford 268-1b-Reverse.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Denarius reverse celebrating ancestor of N. Fabius Pictor, RRC 268/1b]]
Families who had already had members in the Senate were more likely to have further family members elected to political office (and thus become senators). This was so much more likely that only a few consular [[novi homines]] (new men) are known to history. Advertising on coins was thus often about the moneyer's family. In the coin reverse shown on the right (RRC 268/1b), the legend around the outside indicates that moneyer was N. Fabius Pictor. The seated individual is wearing a [[cuirass]], holding a spear in his left hand and an [[apex (hat)|apex]], the characteristic hat worn by the [[flamen|flamines]], in his right. At his side there is a shield inscribed QUIRIN. This is taken to refer to Q. Fabius Pictor (probably the son of [[Quintus Fabius Pictor]] the [[annalist]]) who was elected [[praetor]] in 189 BC and assigned the province of Sardinia by lot (Livy 37.50.8). He was also the [[flamen Quirinalis]] and because of this, P. Licinius Crassus, the [[pontifex maximus]] of the day did not allow him to take the Sardinian office because of various taboos surrounding the flamen's person, and the need for the flamen to perform certain rites in Rome (Livy 37.51.3–7).<ref>[https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Flamen.html Smith 1875:Flamen]</ref> The Sardinian praetorship was exchanged for both the urban and peregrine praetorships, and N. Fabius Pictor remained in Rome.<ref>Feig Vishnia 1996:118–9</ref><ref>Broughton 1951:I:361</ref> The entire incident was part of the political manoeuvring of [[Scipio Africanus]] against his attackers, which included the Fabii.<ref>Scullard 1973:136–7</ref>

{{Coin image box 1 double
| header = 
| image = File:BrutusAhala.jpg
| caption_left = '''[[Obverse and reverse|O:]]''' Head [[Lucius Junius Brutus]] right, BRVTVS.
| caption_right = '''[[Obverse and reverse|R:]]''' Head [[Gaius Servilius Ahala]] right, AHALA.
| width = 300
| footer = Denarius of [[Marcus Junius Brutus]] celebrating his ancestors, 54 BC. RRC 433/2
| position = left
| margin = 4
}}
Over time, the politics of the day became more and more visible in the coinage. In 54 BC, the [[first triumvirate]] had control of Rome, and [[Pompey]] was its preeminent member. There were rumours that Pompey was to be made [[dictator]]. In this context, the coin on the left (Crawford 433/2) was a powerful political message. The moneyer, [[Marcus Junius Brutus]], placed on the coin two figures from Roman history that he claimed as ancestors: 
** [[Lucius Junius Brutus]] of the [[Junia gens]], who was made the first consul of the republic of Rome in 509 BC after he expelled [[Lucius Tarquinius Superbus]], the last of the Roman kings, and
** [[Gaius Servilius Ahala]], who killed [[Spurius Maelius]] – a knight who endeared himself to the populace of Rome by providing free grain during a famine – reputedly in a bid for seeking kingship – in 439 BC. Marcus Brutus was also known as Quintus Servilius Caepio Brutus, as he had been adopted into the [[Servilia gens|gens Servilia]], from which he was descended on his mother's side.

In the face of famine in 57 BC Pompey had been made a special commissioner to control the supply of grain; this included the control of all ports and trading centres for five years. There was earlier bad blood between them; Pompey had put down an earlier insurrection by [[Marcus Aemilius Lepidus (consul 78 BC)|Marcus Aemilius Lepidus]] in which Brutus's father had been involved; Pompey had had him executed. It was the opposition of [[Cato the Younger]], Brutus's half brother on his adopted family's side, to Pompey's requests for land for his veterans of the war against Mithradates that gave Pompey the incentive to be part of the triumvirate. M. Brutus was clearly making a pointed, uncompromising statement of opposition to Pompey and the triumvirate while praising his ancestors.<ref>Harlan 1995</ref>

{{Coin image box 1 double
| header =
| image = File:RSC 0022 - transparent background.png
| caption_left = '''[[Obverse and reverse|O:]]''' Head Caesar right, CAESAR. IM P M
| caption_right = '''[[Obverse and reverse|R:]]''' Venus standing holding Victory in right hand and sceptre in left. L. AEMILIVS BVC.
| width = 300
| footer = Denarius minted in the name of Caesar by L. Aemilius Buca 44 BC. RRC 480/4
| position = right
| margin = 4
}}
In 44 BC, [[Julius Caesar]] was preparing for war with [[Parthia]] to avenge the defeat inflicted by the Parthians on [[Crassus]] at the [[Battle of Carrhae]]. To this end, an enormous variety of denarii and aureii were being minted in large numbers. The coin on the right is from January–February 44 BC. The Venus holding Victory and a sceptre on the reverse was a reference to the claim of the [[gens Julia]] to descend from [[Aeneas]] and thus [[Anchises]] and the goddess [[Venus (mythology)|Venus]]. This was innocuous to Romans, but the obverse showing Caesar himself wearing the gold laurel wreath that the Senate had voted for him was an enormous departure from tradition and deeply offensive. While the coinage had been used to show ancestors, this is the first time that the head of a living Roman had been displayed on Roman coinage.  It was widely perceived as part of a larger series of moves by Caesar to make himself king – and kings were anathema in Rome ever since the foundation of the republic. Other coins minted at the same time bore the text "DICT QVART", indicating that Caesar had been dictator for four years running. A later version (RRC 480/10, February–March 44 BC) showed "DICT PERPET"; Caesar had been made dictator for life.<ref>Sear 1998:72–3</ref><ref>Alföldi 1985</ref> He was assassinated, by Brutus among others, on the [[Ides of March]], 44 BC.

{{Coin image box 2 singles
| header = 
| image_left = File:EidMarForgeryObverse.jpg
| image_right= File:EidMarForgeryReverse.jpg
| caption_left = Head Brutus Right. BRVT IMP, L.PLAET.CEST
| caption_right = Two daggers flanking pileus. EID.MAR
| width_left = 150
| width_right = 150
| position = left
| margin =4
| footer = Modern forgery of denarius of L. Plaetorius Cestianus celebrating Brutus and his action on the Ides of March. 43–42 BC. RRC 508/3
}}
The assassination could not revive the republic. Two years later, just prior to the [[Battle of Philippi (42 BC)|Battle of Philippi]], Brutus produced a coin (RRC 508/3, modern forgery shown to the left) celebrating the freeing of the republic from Caesar's tyranny. The reverse showed two daggers flanking a [[Pileus (hat)|pileus]] (a cap used in the ceremony freeing slaves) and the legend "EID MAR" (''Eidibus Martiis'' - on the Ides of March). On the obverse, Brutus, the "noblest Roman", had placed his own head. The republic survived, by convention more than reality, until Octavian, Caesar's nephew and heir was declared [[Augustus]] in 27 BC.