BOOK REVIEW: MONETA: ANCIENT ROME IN TWELVE COINS

Moneta: A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins
By: Gareth Harney

"This is two thousand years old," my father reminded me as he placed the small silver disc into the palm of my hand. It was still gleaming, cool to the touch, no bigger than a penny. My young mind could not possibly — and will always struggle to — comprehend such an expanse of time." (page 1)

So begins this superbly illustrated book, in my opinion, the best publication on ancient Roman numismatics from the viewpoint of a collector to appear in the last few years. The British author doesn't assume the reader knows Latin, or has studied Roman history. He is a talented storyteller, and a gifted explainer.

Each of the book's twelve chapters focuses on a specific coin type that highlights a story from Rome's long history, but over thirty different coins are illustrated, some with magnified details. Some of these coins are common and relatively affordable, others are great rarities that go for fabulous prices. There is also a section of color plates with images of some of the coins and related works of arts. A clearly drawn map locates every place mentioned in the text.

Rome's story begins with the legend of Romulus and Remus, the infant twins who were abandoned in the wilderness and nursed by a she-wolf. The "wolf and twins" appear on some of the earliest Roman silver coins (c. 269-266 BCE) and would often reappear on the coinage in later years.

The most famous Roman coin by far is the "Ides of March" silver denarius of Brutus, that celebrates the assassination of Julius Caesar on March 15, 44 BCE. Only about a hundred genuine examples are known, and it is a major numismatic event when one comes on the market. An entire chapter, "Ides," puts this remarkable coin in context.

Moneta: A History of Ancient Rome in Twelve Coins by Gareth Harney. London, Penguin (2024) paperback 365 pages. $33.65 ISBN: 978-1-847927514

To read the earlier E-Sylum article, see:
NEW BOOK: MONETA: ANCIENT ROME IN TWELVE COINS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v27/esylum_v27n19a02.html)
BOOK REVIEW: ANCIENT ROME IN TWELVE COINS (https://www.coinbooks.org/v28/esylum_v28n02a08.html)

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