Browse Exhibits (1 total)

Our Approach

The focus of our exhibit was animal symbolism on the coins of Julio-Claudian emperors. Iconography is common on coins, and the meaning behind this iconography is often in reference to broader understandings and happenings that occurred around their minting. Our group was tasked with four coins, three from the reign of Augustus and one from the reign of Nero. On these coins were animals; a bull, an owl, a crocodile, and the representation of the astrological sign Capricorn. Our group wanted to focus on the relevance these animals had to specific events in the emperors’ rule. Understanding the context behind these coins highlighted why these specific animals were being depicted.

Background

The Julio-Claudian dynasty was a period of Roman history that lasted nearly a century, starting with the reign of Augustus in 27 BCE and ending with the death of Nero in 68 CE. Augustus is the issuer of three of the coins in our exhibit. He was an effective and powerful leader, changing how the Roman Empire was ruled and expanded. The use of propaganda in political and cultural contexts is a subject modern scholars often focus on during Augustus’ reign.

Nero was the last Julio-Claudian emperor, committing suicide after an unpopular rule. Nero’s reign was fraught with matricidal attempts, lavish festivals, and bad publicity, most famously the Great Fire of Rome in 64 CE.

The significance of coins during the Roman Imperial period was due to their association with propaganda and promoting imperial values. Imagery on coins was often easily identifiable. Different professions would come across more or less of specific denominations, for example, Praetorian guards received two denarii a day (Tacitus, Annals, 1.17.6), allowing for more targeted propaganda. Coinage often had representations of important achievements. Coins were good ways for emperors to get their imagery and their accomplishments across the empire.

RIC

In some cases, the details of a coin are obscured due to its condition. However, it is possible to confidently identify its features when a reference number is known. The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC) is a catalogue of coins that have been minted under imperial emperors, from Augustus in 39 BCE to Zeno in 491 CE. This classification provides a standard identification that allows numismatists (people who study coins) to confidently reference and compare coins that are in different conditions and locations.

How to Read a Coin

A coin is made up of two sides, the obverse and the reverse, commonly referred to as heads and tails. A key feature on a coin is the legend, which is the abbreviated text that goes along the outside of the coin. The design is the image imprinted on the coin. Portraits of the ruling emperor were standard imagery of the obverse on most denominations of coin. 

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Dr Gwynaeth McIntyre for sharing her enthusiasm and love for the ancient world with us. We would also like to thank Dr Charlotte Dunn for her photos and the Otago Museum for allowing us to use these coins for educational purposes.

This exhibit consisted of the work of Lauryn Hortle, Jenna McNaughton, Michael Mckenzie, Annabelle Prime, and Ciara Derecourt. It was completed in May 2020, for the paper CLAS344 From Augustus to Nero: Scandal and Intrigue in Imperial Rome. This is taught at the University of Otago based in Dunedin, New Zealand, by Dr Gwynaeth McIntyre.