Coin Finds and Monetization in the Roman Northwest

The expansion of Rome into northwestern Europe brought with it the presence and the increased usage of coinage both within the empire and in the Barbaricum. Coin Finds and Monetization in the Roman Northwest presents a study of coin finds and the monetary economy of northwestern continental Europe over much of the Roman period (c. 50 BC–AD 274). One of the largest datasets of coin finds ever assembled is deployed to analyze distribution patterns and fluctuations over time and space. It is clear that the Roman state made a concerted effort to manage coinage and the monetary economy during its rule in northwestern Europe, to the extent that was possible. Regionality is, however, a key feature of the coined monetary economy that resulted from deliberate action or the state’s inability to respond to demand, underscoring how centralized and empire-wide factors had an impact in the study region.

Publication of this book has been aided by a grant from the von Bothmer Publication Fund of the Archaeological Institute of America.

List of Figures

List of Tables

Preface

Acknowledgements

Chapter 1: Introduction
The Scope of the Study
The Numismatic Dataset
Using Coin Finds
Approaching the Monetary Integration of the Roman Northwest
Roman Taxation
The Methodology

Chapter 2: The First Century
The Julio-Claudians
Nero and the Flavians
The Monetary Economy in the First Century
Conclusion

Chapter 3: The Short Second Century
The Beginning
The End
The Monetary Economy in the Short Second Century
Conclusion

Chapter 4: A New Era in the Third Century
The Severan Denarius
A New Coinage System
The Monetary Economy in the Third Century
Conclusion

Chapter 5: Monetizing the Roman Northwest
An Overview of the Monetary Economy in the Northwest
A State Monetary Approach

List of Abbreviations

Bibliography

Index