How often do you think about the Roman Empire?
The question on how often the Roman Empire is remembered is currently not only driving the social media world, but also the team of the Coin Cabinet in Vienna.
Professionally and several times a day, ancient themes are the focus of attention. After all, the collection of Roman coins goes back to Emperor Ferdinand I (1503-1564). Around 1547/50, for example, the oldest inventory still preserved for this purpose was created by Leopold Heyperger, the emperor's chamberlain.
Under the keyword "Rome", 14,969 pieces are currently digitally recorded and accessible in the IKMK, which provide an insight into ancient Roman coinage.
When people think of the Roman Empire today, the Colosseum is certainly high on the list. The ancient landmark not only inspires visitors to Rome, but also numismatics. Emperor Domitianus had the Amphitheatrum Flavium (Colosseum), the largest enclosed building of Roman antiquity and still the largest amphitheatre ever built, minted on sestertii for his deceased brother Titus in 81 AD. On the obverse, Titus sits on a mountain of arms to the left and holds an olive branch in his hand, the symbol of peace.
Another thought could be about the Roman harbour in Ostia. The harbour view was depicted on a sestertius series of Emperor Nero. The reverse of the piece shows the magnificent harbour of Ostia in a view from above, represented by the breakwaters at the edges, ships and the river god Tiber at the bottom. Although Nero had this type of coin minted, it is unclear to what extent the emperor was involved in the construction of the harbour. It is possible that Nero had the port of Ostia completed in the first place or had the badly damaged port restored after the storm of 62 AD. The depiction of the Ostia harbour basin and the Macellum Magnum on Nero's coins mark the first time since the Roman Republic that public buildings have been struck on coins.
And besides the Colosseum and Emperor Nero, thoughts often revolve around pragmatic questions: How many coins did a ruler have minted? What was the monetary circulation of the Roman Empire like? Who were the actors responsible for it? What conclusions can be drawn from the coin images? And does the iconography point to a certain understanding of rulership? What was the value of Roman coins? What could one afford with them?
Numismatic research is trying to find answers to these questions and thus contribute to new insights and a current image of the Imperium Romanum!
