However, trade was usually considered a suitable profession for the common people and the elite preferred to stay away from it. The peak era of trade in ancient Rome when the number of workers involved in industry and trade was highest was from 2nd century BC to 2nd century AD. Other than trade between Rome and other countries and empire, extensive trade also took place between different provinces of the empire itself. The Romans had also established trade links with North Africa and Middle East. It was responsible for trading between Rome and Carthage as well as with the provinces of Spain and France. The most important trading port of Rome was Ostia which was located at the mouth of River Tiber. The Empire was situated along the most important trade routes of the time in the Mediterranean world and also had trading links with the other countries and empires of the time. Roman society was a vast empire and trade between different parts of the empire was a vital feature of the economy. The moneyers produced the currency under the guidance of these committees which was three in number during the Roman Republic and were increased to four during the reign of Julius Caesar at the end of the Republic. These people were authorised to create a centralised and standardised Roman currency. The responsibility of deciding the kind of imagery on the coins was with the committee of tresviri monetales meaning ‘trio of money men’. The system of Roman currency was strictly regulated by the authorities. Over the subsequent centuries of the empire, portraits of various emperors appeared on the coins of ancient Roman empire.Ī selection of Roman coins, a commonly used currency. Earlier coins had featured portraits of the ancestors but the coins of Julius Caesar were the first ones to portray a living person and an emperor. The change came about soon after the establishment of the Empire when Julius Caesar issued coins with his own image. There was a clear shift in the nature of the currency before and after the establishment of the Roman Empire. Sometimes, they even displayed images related to the family history of the moneyer. Eventually, the republican coins began featuring the moneyer’s name. The earliest imagery on Roman coins consisted of a bust of Roma on the obverse with a deity on the reverse. During the era of the Roman Republic, the responsibility of deciding the kind of imagery to feature on the coins rested with the committee of tresviri monetales which means ‘trio of money men’. Republican iconographyĪlthough the main role of the Roman currency was economic, they also had a political significance which was reflected through the iconography on the coins. Other important coin types in ancient Roman life included dupondius, assarius, semis, triens, and quadrans. Also in 211 BC, sestertius was introduced which had a worth of 2.5 asses. It was also introduced in 211 BC and had a worth of 5 asses which later increased to 10 asses. There was another coin for half-denarius which was known as quinarius. Denarius remained an integral part of Roman currency for over four hundred years. It was a small coin made of silver and had a worth of 10 asses which later increased to 16 asses. ![]() ![]() The first major development took place in 211 BC when denarius was introduced in Rome. Having access to strategic locations along the Mediterranean sea allowed the Roman empire to have influence over the trading routes and finances of the region.Ī variety of coin types were prevalent during different times of Roman currency. Various reforms about Roman currency, trading, and finances were undertaken over the course of centuries or ancient rome, and although the coins of this civilisation were made of precious metals such as gold and silver, their actual value was slightly higher than the worth of that quantity of the metal. The currency of ancient Rome typically consisted of coins made from various metals such as gold, silver, bronze and copper.
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