ACKNOWLEDGMENTS AND CREDITS
Were it practical to do so, this section would be as long as the book itself. After all, knowledge does not materialize from thin air. Thanks must first be given to the historians of antiquity, whose writings provide the basis of our knowledge, and to those who produced the coins which are the focus of this work. Every word in this book has a source, however remote, and even those portions which may come under the heading of ëoriginal thoughtí are hardly original, for such ideas can only be developed in the context of existing knowledge. Now, to acknowledge some specific debts.
Contributions: Of the many people who contributed to this book, there are five to whom I am most deeply indebted. Foremost are Robert Hoge and Jim Wasserman, both of whom suffered with me since the start of this project. My mentor Robert Hoge, curator at the American Numismatic Association, reviewed every page of the text with selfless dedication. He searched for errors ó large and small, conceptual and technical ó and offered invaluable advice and encouragement. His considerable talents as a numismatist, historian, literary stylist and grammarian (in both English and Latin) were put to full use. The bookís designer, James Wasserman, took on the project as if it were a personal jihad, not just another job. His eye for composition and his attention to detail have made this book appear magnificent even when its contents fall short. His dedication far exceeded any normal expectations, and all who find the book pleasant to the eye owe a hearty thanks to Jim. I am also deeply indebted to three other of my colleagues ó Alan Walker, Curtis Clay and Victor England ó each of whom made important contributions. Though their impacts cannot be fully appreciated without comparing the final product to early drafts which they reviewed, the reader may rest assured that without their help this would have been a significantly flawed work.
Thanks are also due to those who contributed in their areas of specialty: Rick Witschonke (the Imperatorial period), Matthew Kreuzer (the Julio-Claudians; and especially in helping advance the idea of Livilla on coinage), Kerry Wetterstrom (Roman Egypt), Lawrence Adams (Kingdom of the Bosporus) and Richard McAlee and Michel Prieur (Roman Antioch). I am also indebted to Herb Kreindler and Dennis Kroh, both of whom reviewed extensive portions of the book. For their help in a variety of matters I would like to thank Lawrence Adams, Marty Armstrong, James Beach, Simon Bendall, John Bergman, Harlan and Aaron Berk, Mike Bezayiff, Lucien Birkler, Jan Blamberg, Eldert Bontekoe, John Burnham, Tom Cederlind, Greg Cole, Thomas Curtis, Ben Damsky, Kirk Davis, the Davissonís, Ralph DeMarco, Nick Economopoulos, Tom Eden, Rob and Tory Freeman, Eric Gold, Ira Goldberg, Dieter Gorny, Michael Harlan, David Hendin, Silvia Hurter, Stephen Huston, Bill Kalmbach, Jonathan Kern, Frank Kovacs, Matthew Kreuzer, Brian Kritt, Dennis and Desiree Kroh, Peter Lampinen, Hubert Lanz, John Lavender, Cathy Lorber, Constantin Marinescu, Eric McFadden, William Metcalf, David Michaels, David Miller, Barry Murphy, Wilhelm Miiseler, John Pett, Rick and Kent Ponterio, Paul Rabin, Steve Rubinger, Roberto and Arturo Russo, Arnold Saslow, John Saunders, Wayne Sayles, David Sear, Fred Shore, Jon Subak, Richard Swan, Tom Tesoriero, David Tripp, John Twente, Italo Vecchi, Hans Voegtli, Edward Waddell, Bill Warden and Kerry Wetterstrom. Special thanks are due to all of the researchers who have produced auction catalogs with useful notations. To those who, in error, I have failed to thank, I offer my sincere apologies; rest assured that my gratitude is not diminished because of the oversight.
For the encouragement and practical advice that transformed this project from an idea into a going concern, I am indebted entirely to David Hendin, who freely shared his expertise in both publishing and numismatics. For initiating the process with Amos Press I thank Beth Deisher and Brad Reed, both of whom saw promise in my proposal. For carefully reviewing the text for syntactic errors I am indebted to Suellen Ruttkay and Bill Gibbs of Coin World and to Casey Corsa. Thanks are also due to Ann Marie Aldrich and Bill Corsa, whose patience and confidence ó through understandably strained at times ó were essential to the success of this project.
I am thankful beyond measure to Al, Marsha, Jean-Paul, Brian, Pratima, Jim, Mehrdad, VPJ and HCM for their constant mental support throughout this project. Equally important to the success of the project were all of the friends and relatives with whom I was in less-frequent communication. Without exception they offered encouragement when it was needed and were accepting of my unattentiveness. Finally, cheers to David Sear, whose immensely useful Roman Coins and Their Values has proven for more than three decades that a book of this kind is not only useful, but essential.
Valuations: For teaching me how to evaluate the quality and the market value of ancient coins I am principally indebted to Ira Goldberg. Were it not for the training I received from him, these values no doubt would be less useful. To assure a greater degree of consistency and accuracy, input on the values was solicited from several of my colleagues whose anonymity is preserved. All final decisions about the values were made independently by the author.
Illustrations: Without photographs, this work would be considerably less useful. Enough thanks cannot be given to Classical Numismatic Group, Inc., whose senior directors, Victor England and Eric McFadden allowed the use of illustrations from their auction catalogs. Additionally, the principals of CNG and of Freeman & Sear generously granted permission to use photographs from the catalogs of Numismatic Fine Arts, Inc. Equally important were the photographic contributions of my valued colleagues at Leu Numismatik (Zürich), Numismatica Ars Classica (Zürich), Sothebyís (New York and London), Miinzen und Medaillen (Basel), Italo Vecchi, Ltd. (London) and Superior Galleries (Beverly Hills). Additional illustrations were provided by Rick Witschonke, Virginia Janssen, David Hendin, Edward Waddell, Chris and Julie Salmon, Sameer Kazmi and the author; line drawings were largely copied from antique books.
SOURCES
Many sources ó primary and secondary ó were used to gather information for this book. Some of the primary sources consulted were Tacitusí Histories and Annals, Suetoniusí De vita Caesarum (ëThe Twelve Caesarsí), the Historia Augusta, (seemingly by one author in the age of Theodosius or by several authors, collectively known as the Scriptores Historiae Augustae, during the ages of Diocletian and Constantine the Great), Cassius Dioís Roman History and Livyís Ab urbe condita libri. The works of other ancient historians and chroniclers, such as Aurelius Victor, Eusebius, Eutropius, Festus, Herodian, Lactantius, Zosimus, Ammianus Marcellinus, Saint Augustine, Saint Athanasius, Candidus, Joannes Antiochenus, Josephus, Malchus, Olympiodorus, Priscus, Zonoras, etc., were also invaluable. The secondary sources most frequently consulted were: Michael Crawfordís Roman Republican Coinage, the 10 volumes of The Roman Imperial Coinage (various authors), Roman Provincial Coinage, Volume I (with supplement) by Burnett, Amandry and Ripollès, the Catalog of Late Roman Coins in the Dumbarton Oaks Collection and in the Whittemore Collection by Grierson and Mays, the 29 volumes of A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum (various authors), the Oxford Classical Dictionary, The Magistrates of the Roman Republic by T.R.S. Broughton, several works of Michael Grant (especially The Roman Emperors), Chris Scarreís Chronicle of the Roman Emperors, Clive Fossís Roman Historical Coins, Kenneth Harlís Coinage in the Roman Economy, John Melville Jonesís A Dictionary of Ancient Roman Coins, and the Atlas of the Roman World by Cornell and Matthews. Hundreds of other books, articles and commentaries in auction catalogs were consulted, all of which have greatly enriched this work. A listing of many of these is provided in the bibliography.
FOREWORD
Everyone interested in the history and coinage of the ancient Romans will find many features to enjoy in the wonderfully comprehensive work undertaken by David Vagi. The capsule biographies of each coin-issuing individual are authoritative. Every biography has been designed to stand on its own in providing full and appropriate background information for putting the individualís place in history into perspective. Indeed, the author has not shied away from running the risk of redundancy in order to give the reader as complete as possible a presentation for each one, so that it can stand alone for those seeking data relating exclusively to a specific person. Information has been compiled from all sources, and from the best and most recent studies.
The other portions of this richly-crafted work are no less fully realized. Readers will find solid, up-to-date surveys of all numismatic aspects and will appreciate the care and skill devoted to every section of interest to collectors: interpretation, value, population, aesthetics Ö
This impressive tome has earned a prominent place on the shelf of anyone with an interest in Roman coinage. I know schools and libraries will find frequent use for it as well. Mr. Vagi is to be congratulated on a job well done.
ROBERT W. HOGE
Colorado Springs, Colorado
May, 1999
The purpose of this book is two-fold: to provide numismatists with a study of Rome and its coinage which will enrich their avocation, and to afford historians the opportunity to appreciate the role of coinage in the Roman world. For these reasons, the story of Rome has been given a more prominent place than is usually found in numismatic references. After all, of what significance are coins without context?
The main reason people collect Roman coins is that they allow us, in some small way, to make a connection with a vanished world. This desire is no modern invention, for the ancients were also collectors of antiques. Pliny the Elder, in his Historia Naturalis, informs us that Romeís first emperor, Augustus, was a collector of antique and foreign coins. Two millenia later we can only imagine the silver decadrachms of Syracuse and the gold staters of Alexander the Great that he gave to friends as gifts.
At the other end of the spectrum we may shudder to think of the millions of ancient coins that have been unearthed over the centuries only to be melted for their bullion content. The reasons are manifold: sometimes possessing such ëantiqueí items is illegal; other times it is simply easier for the finder to reap his reward by converting coins into anonymous bricks of metal.
For all its inherent conflicts, a well-established collector market preserves ancient coins to a far-greater degree than it destroys them. Though much scholarship must be conducted after-the-fact, this is still preferable to having nothing at all to study. If ancient objects had no value above and beyond the intrinsic, the vast majority would end up in the melting pot, preventing any opportunity for study.
Thus, in an era when international legislation threatens the very foundation of collecting, collectors must remain focused on the true purpose of acquisition. These coins are not merely artifacts, or objects of value, but ambassadors of culture. After all, if Roman coins could only be seen in the pages of books or behind museum glass, would we be so motivated to learn about them? Or, for that matter, about the Roman Empire? Certainly not. The tangibility of such objects would escape us, and as a consequence, so might our fascination with their creation.
This book began as a modest project of perhaps 300 or 400 pages. As work progressed it became evident that a larger book would be required to tell the story of Rome and its coinage in any detail. As the level of research deepened, the page-count increased, deadlines were surpassed, and anticipations grew. The final deadline was an auspicious one: The Ides of March, 1999. Had I known in advance the amount of suffering required to bring this project to fruition ó I must confess ó I am not certain I would have penned the first word. But it was my intention from the outset to make a lasting contribution to a field which has provided me with countless hours of enjoyment. I hope that the final product was worth the herculian effort it required.
Over the years I have happily worked with ancient coins as a dealer, collector, cataloger, researcher, writer and consultant. As I intend to remain active in all of these areas, I invite serious enquiries regarding any of those capacities at the following address:
DAVID L. VAGI
P.O. Box 20155
Greeley Square Station
New York, NY 10001ñ0002
HOW TO USE THIS BOOK
The book is divided into two volumes and is comprised of three main sections:
Volume I: History of the Roman Empire
ïBiographies and historical introductions
Volume II: Coinage of the Roman Empire
ïPart One: Numismatic Introduction
ïPart Two: Catalog and Tables of Values
Biographies. The history of Rome from Sulla through the death of Julius Nepos is divided into 13 chapters based on individual epochs (with the three ëSeparatist Empiresí of the 3rd Century being discussed in a chapter of their own). The strictly chronological order of presentation changes with the death of Jovian in A.D. 364: the remainder of the Empire is discussed in two chapters, one for the Eastern and one for the Western Roman Empire. Within these separate chapters, the discussions follow the same chronological order as the earlier biographies.
A general introduction is given for each period. When necessary, the introduction is supplemented with an historical overview, family tree or a chronology table. The biographies are as comprehensive as possible within the practicial limitations of this work. Much of the latest scholarship has been incorporated, which sometimes alters the conclusions to which collectors have long been accustomed. The biographies have been written to stand alone, but they are most useful when read along with related biographies. The individual biographies are most often followed by sections entitled Numismatic Notes, which contain information about the subjectís coins.
Numismatic Introduction. This section, which opens with a general introduction, is devoted to the coinage itself. Specialized sections on denominations, deities and personifications, determining the dates of coins, obverse types, reverse types, mints and mint marks, and how to determine market value follow. The last section (which includes a photo-grading guide) is vital for understanding how the values presented in the catalog apply to individual coins.
Coin Catalog: This final section is a listing of coins and their market values. For a detailed description, see the introduction in Volume II.