Coin Iconography and Social Practice in the Roman Republic

This chapter focuses on the images on pre-imperial Roman coinage. It provides a brief outline of the typological development of Roman issues between c. 300 bce and the end of the Republic and discusses coin iconography against the background of political and social changes during this period. Furthermore, the contribution tackles several key questions: Who was responsible for the choice of types on the different urban and imperatorial series, from the beginnings of Roman coinage to the age of Augustus? Why was the typological behavior of Roman Republican denarii exceptional among the coinages of the ancient world? Were the images on the coins intelligible to the people using them? Is specific audience targeting in evidence in the Republican series?