I. The largest Roman brass coins after the fall of the Republic are the so-called firet or large brass, the sestertii. These pieces were in use from the days of Augustus to Gallieuus. Under the thirty tyrants they disappeared, but a new piece was issued by Diocletian called the follis, 24 of which went to the silver miliarensis, and each was half an ounce in weight and worth 40 noummi'a or small centimes. In the Augustan age it weighed nearly a Roman ounce, but it declined in weight under the later emperors, under Severmi Alexander was one-third lighter, and reduced by Gallus to one-third of an ounce. Trojan Decius struck two —sextarii or quinarii of orichalchum. Originally it was struck from an alloy of copper and zinc, with a small quantity of lead, of which a greater quantity 'became introduced in the days of the Autonines. The types ou the obverse generally present the portrait of the emperor, while the legends record his titles, how often he had exercised the consulship or tribunitian power, or been saluted emperor, by which the date of the coin can be determined. The reverse indicated the character of the reign, the deities, the virtues, the temples, sacrifices, consecrations, and apo theosis; the provinces, cities, rivers, ports, and bridges ; indulgences, remission of taxes, and exhibitions of spectacles ; the victories, harangues, expeditions, journeys of the emperor. The virtues being accorded by the adulation of the senate, and not by the censors of history, present the moderation of Tiberius, the clemency of Wallet, and the triumphs of Dornitian, and are fortunately corrected by the pen of the historian.
The size of the• sostertius allows scope for the skill of the artist. From Augustus to Nero the style improves, and continues excellent from Vessiesian to Hadrian. After Comnexhrs, the art declines till the fall of the Gortlians; and the subsequent pieces exhibit a remark able degeneracy, especially at the time of thillienus, the portraits only showing any merit.
II. The next size to these coins is the so-called second or middle brass, consisting of two metals and two different denominetione : the deponditut, dibella, or half eesterce, struck in brass, and the as of pure copper. The dupondius underwent the same changes as the eestertius till the time of Gallienus, when it was suppressed, having been reduced by Severus Alexander to lade of its weight. This series is important for being more continuous than the large brass, few imperial portraits being wanting, and some being absolutely requisite to complete the first braes series. as Agrippa, Tiberius, Pertinax, and some others. At the time of Diocletian, the term second brass is usually applied to the follis of oz. weight by collectors, and reappears from Aurelian to Anastasius, which circulated along with the brass denarius. first struck by Philip, equal to four sestertii.
III. This series consists of Roman semisses and quadrantes, although some have erroneously regarded them as the uncle. They are pieces Lotted by the moneycrs under Augustus and Tiberius, and reappear under Caligula with imperial portraits, one of the finest being that of Nero ; it is common under Domitian, Hadrian, and the Antonines, after which it disappears till the age of Deciva. The greatest portion
of the series, as arranged in cabinets, comprises the base dettarii issued by Gallienus and the thirty Tyrants, down to the reign of Diocletian ; after which period it is profusely abundant in types and varieties, and becomes the aasarion under Diocletian and his successors, disappears with Julian III., and ceases to be distinct in the divisions of K. 20, 1, 10 nostatnia of the follis. A complete series in 3rd brass is impos sible, as no pieces of this size exist from the age of Hadrian till Gallienus. Many of the earlier specimens were struck by the mongers, and several have no imperial portraits, but only heads of deities and SC. on the reverse ; and with them the quadrantes, issued from the mines of Noricum, with the inscription METAL, are generally classed.
Coins of a larger size than the ordinary currencies have been called medallions, a word derived from the Italian medatilione, again derived from the Greek metallon. The decadrachms of Athens and Syracuse. have been thus called, but the term is more properly applied to. the large pieces of the Roman series. Some few of gold and silver occur under the upper Empire, but silver medallions are most prevalent after Constantine ; one of the most remarkable and the heaviest being that of Priscus Attains, in the British Museum. After the time of Hadrian, bronze medallions, heavy and thick pieces, struck by the emperor without the authority of the senate, and made of two metals appear. These are the ancient misellia, so called from being hurled into the amphitheatre. They are sometimes made of two metals, the outer portions for ),th or ) inch being of copper when the body is of bronze, or rice rerki, and are often found set in fiat disks measuring C inches diameter, and forming part of the standards of the nmanipuli and vexillatione, being with the busts part of the sacred effigiea placed in the chapels of the legions and adored by them. At the time of Severue they are often wholly or partially gilded, and some times ringed for suspension. They were also probably given as military rewards. These pieces are of great rarity and interest, but the subjects on them arc the same or similar to the Ruman first brass. They are ancient proofs or medals properly so called.
Another kind of medals are called by the numismatists CON torniati " encircled," or reroeati, and are about 2 inches in diameter. They aro IN/ named from a deep groove which runs between the legend and the border, often curtailing the letters of the legend, and the edge is generally flanged. Some rare examples have their subjects on both slides inense. They have on the obverse the busts of deities, emperors, heroic personages, poets, or philosophers, and in the area the unex plained monogram I' E, a palm brauch, lieu, and other symbols, punched or incised, and often inlaid in sliver, and on the other figures groups and mythological subjects, probably copied from celebrated works, of art then extant. A very prevalent typo is that of a quadriga, alluding to the Ciroensea. Legend,' on the obverse refer to the bust represented ; but many of those on the reverse are votive exclamations to charioteer, or athletes, as VRSE V1NCAS., OLYMPI