Coin Iconography and Social Practice in the Roman Empire

Abstract The aim of this chapter is not to give a comprehensive overview on the different images gracing Roman coins of the imperial period or to trace the developments therein. Rather, it focuses on how and if the users of coins interacted with the iconography presented on the coins. Therefore, this chapter primarily discusses the literary, archaeological, and numismatic evidence for the perception and appropriation of coin imagery. In this way, we might be able to bridge the gap between iconography commissioned by the Roman state and daily life in Rome’s enormous empire. Before addressing these topics, however, we will briefly explore some of the characteristics of the medium, sketch iconographic developments on a general level, and, importantly, analyze how much the Roman state designed and targeted coin iconography with certain audiences in mind.