The distribution and circulation of the denarius in the second century AD

Thesis

This thesis examines the interregional distribution of newly struck denarii during the second century (corresponding with the reigns of Trajan, Hadrian, Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, and Commodus) in order to reconstruct patterns of silver coin supply and to build an understanding of the nature and pace of subsequent circulation. Drawing on a dataset of more than 100,000 denarii from over 300 hoards extracted from the Coin Hoards of the Roman Empire (CHRE) project database, this study represents the first attempt to systematically analyse the second-century silver both at the level of the issue and the level of the design. This thesis employs the Chi-squared (χ2) method of testing to compare observed and expected frequencies of denarius issues and designs across seven broad regions of the empire. This approach allows statistically significant deviations from ‘normal’ distribution to be identified while accounting for major disparities in sample size between regions and hoards. Particular attention is paid to whether discrete groups of varying sizes were preferentially distributed in specific regions and, in turn, whether these reflect regular fiscal-administrative activity or deliberate audience targeting by the Roman state.

Authors: Ball, MJ

• DOI: 10.5287/ora-vjzwdgae4
• Type of award: DPhil
• Level of award: Doctoral
• Awarding institution: University of Oxford
• Language: English
• Keywords: Roman archaeology; numismatics; coinage; Roman coinage; denarius; Roman numismatics
• Subjects: Roman numismatics