Roman Imperial Coins: Their Art & Technique

Translated from the Italian ("L’arte romana nelle monete dell’età imperiale") by Peter Green. Introduction by Ranuccio Bianchi Bandinelli. Nowadays, when greater attention is being paid to coins from the standpoint of their intrinsic value as works of art, interest has been mostly centred on those of the Greek period, which are both better known, and better appreciated because of their close and obvious relationship to the history of classical art. In consequence, Roman coinage has been somewhat neglected. The only illumination it receives is from the Roman theory of portraiture - which in any case sheds lustre, first and foremost, on sculpture rather than the art of coin-design. It may, therefore, serve some useful purpose to devote the present volume (which, in accordance with its terms of reference, aims at popular exposition and does not claim to be a work of original scholarly research) to the presentation of material still all too little known as far as the general public is concerned. To this end there have been assembled within its covers various examples selected - with no special influence on any particular period - from the vast legacy bequeathed us by the Roman Imperial Mint. This material is drawn almost exclusively from the Coin Cabinet of the Museo Nazionale in Naples, except for one or two specimens, the provenance of which is stated in the commentary accompanying each of the individual players.