Re-examining the Design Types of the Renewed College of Moneyers in c.19BC

The production of coins by the college of moneyers in c.19BC was much more highly organized and controlled than has often been appreciated. Each of the three moneyers produced two series of coins, one with imperial reverses, the other with personal reverses. Two moneyers celebrated four topics on the reverse of their coins with imperial reverses, and one five topics. Each moneyer celebrated two topics on the reverses of his coins with personal reverses, where the choice of topics was itself highly constrained. This structure places important limitations on how one may approach the interpretation of the individual reverse types, to the extent that it becomes clear that Durmius’ crab and butterfly reverse must preserve some play upon his name also.