Counterfeiting Money in Ancient Rome
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ค. 2024
- This video, featuring three examples from my personal coin collection, explores how and why money was faked in the Roman world.
Check out my other my other TH-cam channels @toldinstone and @scenicroutestothepast
0:00 Introduction
0:36 A fourrée of Antoninus Pius
2:41 A barbarous radiate of Postumus
5:31 A barbarous imitation of Constantine
![[ASMR] Separating two Roman coins stuck together for 1,700 years](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/VpAeHy9Xou0/mqdefault.jpg)
There was a theory put forth about twenty years ago, that the 1st-3rd century fourree coins were official issues of Rome. The reasons noted were: that there were copious numbers of them, far more than one would expect with various counterfeiters making a few counterfeits here and there; they showed up in the archaeological record at the same time as regular issues, meaning they were made at the same time; they were of the same good quality as official issues; and there wasn't a single die match for regular issues and fourrees - counterfeits were usually made from casts of real coins, and that didn't happen here (fourees seem to have had dedicated dies); They were also found mostly in the northern frontier, and rarely elsewhere. The theory was that Rome didn't like paying German mercenaries with silver coins, only to have them melt down the coins to make jewelry. They wanted the coins to circulate, so Germans were paid in silver-plated coins to make them spend the coins. I don't know what the consensus was on the theory.
There were fourree counterfeits all during the classical era. The solution eventually devised was to make silver coins so large in diameter and flat that it took more silver to plate a copper core than existed in the real coin. I think the Sassanids started doing that.
The barbarous radiates were mainly local imitations to provide coins both to pay local soldiers and provide for local economies after the coins stopped coming from Rome. At the time, Rome was the source of coins for all western territories, and during the strife of the third century, locals had no choice but to make imitations. About the beginning of the fourth century, several local mints were established to prevent this problem.
This is a good summary of the types of ancient imitations and counterfeits from the past.
Anyone thinking of starting an ancient coin collection should know that there are a lot of modern fakes out there, and one should research how to spot a fake before buying even one ancient coin. Ebay in particular is a cesspool filled with modern fakes. All experienced collectors have a fake or two in their collections, part of an unofficial initiation into ancient coin collecting. Caveat Emptor!
Thinking about taking classical civilization in my next school because of your channels, thanks for the great content
You’re gonna get me into coins I swear
Garrett, I cannot tell you how much I look forward to each of your videos. You'd be the coolest neighbor ever.
This is why the Cowrie shell is a superior from of currency.
Fascinating! Counterfeit currency in ancient civilisation is something I've never thought about before.
It seriously does go all the way back to the very first coins!
Thar barbarian coin with the gibberish is wonderful!
You may already know this, but King Henry VIII became known as Ol' Coppernose because he also adulterated the silver coinage by issuing copper coins with a coating of silver, but the copper would shine through the silver veneer on his nose as it slightly protruded out from his image on the coins.
5:31
Barbarians: "Look our official coins of Constantine!!!"
Romans: "LIARS! THE GUY IN THAT COIN DOESN'T LOOK AT ALL LIKE A D*CK!!!"
The third coin, where the barbarians tried to approximate Latin writing, reminds me of the medieval Anglo-Saxon coin which was a copy of an Abbasid coin, including the Shahada. Certainly another example of imitation and flattery
5.00 It reminds me of the siege money issued in Newark by the Royalist due to being surrounded.
The dodecahedrons from ancient Rome are a subject of interest to me, as most of them were found in coin hoards and sometimes associated with administrators, additionally one coin hoard was accompanied by a single hexagonal plate with the familiar hole. Since worn currency was used to pay taxes and removed from circulation, then returned to the mint to be melted into new coins, the dodecahedrons might be coin gauges. Coins were irregular in shape, but under a given diameter would reduce the weight and in turn, reduce the value. Since shaving metal from the surface would deface it and render it unreadable, the only logical place to remove metal or "skim" would be the edge. So whether by normal wear or unscrupulous acts a quick reference would root out sub-par coins. When collecting thousands of coins for taxation such a device could be very efficient. I seriously doubt they were used to knit gloves, as no knit gloves have ever been discovered, to the best of my knowledge. They were however typically found in the outskirts of the empire, where precious metals would have been in shorter supply, increasing the likelihood of shaving off some of the outside edge. Five to ten percent in weight removal would be a clever way to maintain the identity of each coin while keeping that portion for recasting for other purposes.
Dr. G! What a media empire you are building! As to coins and wealth in Rome, I have to admit only recently did I find out (and I think it was from you) that the great temples in Rome functioned as 'banks'. But to what degree? What I've googled has been less than satisfactory - or less than fulsome. Maybe... a post on how this worked? Was it only in Rome or did this happen in other cities and urban centres? Was it just a simple "Leave it with us" arrangement or did the priests invest or speculate with these funds? Was interest thus accrued? Where in the physical precincts of a temple was this wealth stored? What proof did a Roman have of what they had 'on deposit' at the Temple of Jupiter Fulgor, say? What surety did a Roman have that pilfering of their funds would not take place? Seriously, I would be delighted to have a full Ryanesian exposé on this!
I hope to explore banks - including those based in temples - on toldinstone in the relatively near future. Stay tuned!
VERY good explanations of these. Pretty much what I would have said myself. I love collecting fourees and barbarous radiates. I really like the jumbled legend on the last coin you showed us. Jumbled legends are very cool to me.
Love this video, please do more on coinage.
Super interesting video! Please do more on this subject. Thank you!
I have one Roman coin that I've always suspected may be a forgery, it has an odd sandy texture unlike other coins in my collection and the portrait is a bit off. If my records are right it is a follis of Licinius I
Fascinating!
Very interesting, thanks.
Do you ever appear in coin shows? It would be great to meet you!
I attend the occasional show around Chicago, but I have never presented at one. Maybe someday...
Really interesting
didn’t know, so interesting !
I don't know why but this video made me think about the god-emperor of mankind in war hammer 40k (or actually 30k) Where he mandated that religion should be banned, I think the logic being in that by the writers of the lore, saying Rome was destroyed by religion and we lost way too much because of it.
Is there a technical difference in nomenclature when using the terms reverse and obverse compared to front and back or are they basically the same thing and the usage is just a convention?
It's just a numismatic convention
Amazing how not even the practical Romans figured out that one does not need any special metal to represent value.
What does the reverse of the last one look like
Is there anything known about what organisations performed the manufacturing of the vast amounts of coins? In modern times the manufacturing of coins and notes is centralized, in order to ensure control.
My expectation: in ancient times coin manufacturing, in vast quantities, required the highest skill of all contemporary manufacturing.
For production of coins: there is the metallurgy of the coins themselves, but also the metallurgy of the coin die used to strike the coins. In the wikipedia article about coining estimates are given for how many strikes a die might last until it was too worn to be further used. Making the coin dies is a highly skilled craft.
It's not clear whether in ancient Rome there was anything like a centralized mint. It would appear no written record remains of how in ancient Rome coin manufacturing proceeded. It appears the only record of the coin manufacturing is the massive quantities in the archealogical record.
Best video in a while! I kept thinking about crypto currencies and the inflation we are experiencing. Do empires follow a natural evolution that leads to their eventual economic demise?
Do we have a proof of lower level of craftmanship coins counterfited from that time? Like lead or tin copies from original coins made by some crafty crooks? In my collection i have one 100+yo lead coin that is cast in the image of silver thaler. Made by some low level crafter. Its pretty worn and it suggests that it was circulating and used as a coin for some time.
Say what you like, that first coin is very well made, for what it is.
Debasing currency, pretty much like governments are doing today to cover their overspending. Some things never change.
Yeah they’d be into the new fake money, crypto, today. 😂
Dont hate the players, hate the game
@@reeyees50 fire all the players. Let's start a new game.
That is not at all the problem
Where I'm from we call 'em gulp swallomeres
I wish you would film these coin episodes differently. It would make more sense to shoot the coins front/back close up with you behind the camera as opposed to this.
I think the point of these videos is the story around the artifacts, not the artifacts themselves.
@@fredyair1 I think the point is telling a story about an artifact you can see ON VIDEO. Otherwise make a podcast.
No no I prefer to be called barbarian
Constantine the Neck Beard.