The Reforms of Trajan and the end of the Pre-Neronian denarius



Butcher, K and Ponting, MJ ORCID: 0000-0003-0343-6224
(2015) The Reforms of Trajan and the end of the Pre-Neronian denarius. Annali dell'Istituto Italiano di Numismatica, 61. pp. 21-43.

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Abstract

Numismatists habitually attribute the creation of Roman imperial coinage to Augustus, and commonly refer to imperial currency as ‘Augustan’.1 Consequently any changes to the imperial coinage tend to be regarded as adulterations of this original ‘Augustan system’. The changes that took place under Nero, for example, are usually treated as the first signs of thoughtless manipulation of this system, and in addition these changes are understood as evidence of the empire’s financial weakness.2 The same is claimed of Trajan’s changes to the denarius and aureus.3 However, other interpretations of these changes are possible, and this paper attempts to set out evidence to support the argument that the Neronian and Trajanic reforms are linked, and that both were attempts to establish a stable currency.

Item Type: Article
Depositing User: Symplectic Admin
Date Deposited: 05 Aug 2016 10:30
Last Modified: 19 Jan 2023 07:32
URI: https://livrepository.liverpool.ac.uk/id/eprint/3002737