Roman coinage in Britain

by P.J. Casey

This book puts the coinage of the Roman period in Britain into a perspective of the economic and political events of the time. After outlining the currency system of the Empire from the first century to the fourth and investigating the factors which influenced the volume of coinage issued by the state and the occasions on which it was issued, Mr. Casey considers the way in which the coinage found on Roman sites in Britain conforms to or deviates from this imperial pattern. Social, economic and locational factors are investigated, and the very characteristic pattern of the coinage found in Britain is illustrated from a number of archaeological sites. The work is aimed at the practicing archaeologist as well as the general student of the past, and emphasis is placed on the need to understand the overall pattern of coin production and use in the Roman period before deductions are made about the chronology and occupation of individual sites. Almost all of the commonest Roman coins found in Britain are illustrated at actual size.

64 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2003

Reviews

[J.P. Harker · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sort of does what it says on the tin, though I'd have liked to see some more of the art side as well as the functional; how were these coins made, what are the many varied 'tails' designs from Roman myth and what theories are there why each Emperor favoured those designs in particular, or was in a general trend in fashion?

This was informative, certainly, but it feels like this is 90% an economics book, rather than an archaeology book.

[Koeneman · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book to read from time to time. It gives brilliant information and background to the coins found in Great Britain.

Overall: A small but informative book.