PE:RON I PLACEAS. (" Imlay you conquer, oh. Ursue I Olympius, conquer; Petrenium, may you please"). They are supposed to have been struck from the time of Uratian, A.D. 375, to the reign of Anthcrnius, A.D. 472, the last emperor represented on thorn. The object for which they were struck is unknown, whether for throwing into the Circus, or presentation to successful charioteers. The portraits of Homer, &Hunt, and Horace are found on them, but of late date and apes cryphel character. These medals arc often chased or imitated in the times of the renaissance. (Sabatier, J., Description G6n6rale des Medallions contorniatee,. 4to, 1300.) Similar to the contorniati are a clam of niedalleta of the size of the 3rd brass, having on one side numbers from i. to xxix., and on the other bust,' and other representations, chiefly of an indecent nature. These little pieces arc called spinthria, and are supposed to have been issued by Tiberius, or for the Floralia. Others, of the same size, were also struck for triumphs, the Saturnalia, and other popular oecitsione, or oven for quack doctors. With these may be also classed leaden pieces, used as seas, tokens, or tickets (Eckhel, ' Dootr. Num. Vet.,' viii. 31.1), such as are said to have been issued by Agrippa, Nero, Hadrian, and °there, for largesses to the populace. ?honey was thrown on great occasions into the arena of the circus and amphitheatre, gold being restricted to the emperor, while the °onside were only allowed to throw down silver.
The types of the Roman coins differ considerably from the Greek, commencing at a period when the arts were in a rapid state of decay, and the treattneut more pictorial, as is shown by the numereue figures often introduced upon the reverse. While, too, the Greek autonomous coins represent deities, or animals, and emblems, the Roman coins assume an historical character, and abound with allegorical of mental qualities, as *pea, or hope ; patientia, patience ; proridentia , prudence ; fides, faith ; lactitia, joy ; while liberality, peace, honour, virtue, fortune, and the like, are portrayed by their respective figures; besides which, the principal deities of the Pantheon are represented, or public events as they appeared at the time, as prostrate princes, legionaries at the adlocutions or addresseIe, and the sacrifices of the Decennalia, the emperor on horseback in his deeursio, and the various public buildings represented in a conventional manner. These are often accompanied with inscriptions recording the name of the deity or allegory represented. The types of the Roman coins are in fact more pictorial than Greek, but not so much so as modern medals, on which numerous figures and aerial perspective are introduced.
Besides the usual types, occasionally smaller impressions stamped from punches are found on coins. On the autonomous Greek series there are generally the types of other states, and were impressed to give the pieces currency in their territory ; sometimes as many as three have been found on one coin, as ITEP for Pergamus, TPAA for Tralles, 2AP for Sardes. In the Roman series they appear as brands, the emperors counterrnarking the coins of their predecessors ; while other marks, such as SC., SPQR., seen to indicate that the effigy or coin was cancelled. Besides these letters, and other marks, the deface ments of possessors are found ; but these arc in letters incised, not in relief. At Rome, countermarks commence uuder Augustus and con tinue till Trajan, reappear in the Lower Empire under Justinian, and are found as late as Anastasius. Some marks are supposed to have been impressed by the e.eploralnres monette, as PR, 31.11t, and BON, to indicate moneta probata, probate, approved, bona, good or passed, coin.
The inscriptions on the Roman coins are much more copious than those on the Greek autonomous. On the consular series they have the names of the personages represented, and the triumviri of the mint. On the imperialcoins the inscriptions on the obverse have the name and titles of the emperor, which are sometimes continued on the reverse. These have the abridgments common to Roman inscriptions, as I 31Terator, CA ESar, AV Guetus, COnSul ; D. N., dorniuus 'roster ; P. F., Pius Felix ; P P., Pater Petrie ; TRibunitia POTestate ; or TR. P., the same. The reverses of the bronze have always the S. C., referring to their being struck by Senatus Consulturn, which is to be distinguished from the EX. S. C., showing that the typo referred to some act of the senate. The other contractions are too numerous to be given, but REST. refers to the restoration of certain coins made by the emperors, either of the pieces coined by their predecessors or ancestors. The subject of the reverse has often a full inscription, as eEQV1TAS., STES., AQUA TRAIANA, explaining time figure, but at the time of Philip mingle letters appear in the area of the coin, and seem to be the initial of the names of the mint, the first hitherto referred being those of Terrace and Siscia on the coins of l'robus. From this period till the close of the Byzantine empire they are constantly placed in the exergue, generally preceded by the form P., percussa, or pecunia, or S.M., sacra inoneta, as SMA N sacra menet& Autiochensis tertiurn ; or Moneta only.