Hardcover – January 1, 1996
by
Janina Wiercinska
(Author)The
study of the Warsaw National Museum collection has been prepared with
reference to M.H. Crawford's "Roman Republican Coinage", vol.I-II,
Cambridge 1974. Crawford's exhaustive work is the best and most
comprehensive discussion of Roman Republican coinage to date, and it
introduces a new chronology which differs considerably from earlier
assumptions in this respect. Some of Crawford's chronological
determinations have raised controversy, as, for instance, his dating of
the early bronze issues or the first didrachms. Chronological questions
are always the most complicated issues and hoards, when published, can
be potentially helpful in providing new data for more exact dating.
While more than two decades have passed since the publication of
Crawford's work, there have been no new studies of Roman Republican
coinage which could compare to it in the depth and comprehensiveness of
the approach. Consequently, the study has served as a basis in the
preparation of the present catalogue. The coins in the catalogue are
presented in chronological order according to particular issues (and
giving their dating), the moneyer's name, and the names of personages
mentioned in the legend. All the data identifying particular coins have
been included with respect to each issue: identification of mint and
value, description, metal, weight in grams, diameter in millimeters,
axis. Inventory numbers and references to the more important
collections, from which a given coin has originated, have also been
given, as well as references to Crawford's study and earlier works: E.A.
Sydenham, "Coinage of the Roman Republic", London 1952, and an
extensive collection catalogue: H.A. Grueber, "Coins of the Roman
Republic in the British Museum", vol. I-III, London 1910 (in reference
to particular coin variants).