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Quadrans IIIVIR A A A F F
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 8 BC |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Central field features a cornucopia (cornu copiae) depicted in profile, rendered in relief with characteristic curved form and overflowing abundance motif. The letters S and C (Senatus Consulto) are positioned flanking the cornucopia to left and right respectively, indicating senatorial authority over the issue. A circular legend surrounds the design, reading the names of the tresviri monetales responsible for the emission. The overall style is characteristic of Augustan-era bronze coinage, with bold, simply executed devices suited to the small quadrans denomination. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Augustus revived the bronze quadrans in 9 BC after decades of neglect, partly to address the chronic shortage of small change that had plagued Roman daily commerce since the civil wars. The tresviri monetales — the three mint magistrates whose abbreviated title fills these coins — were junior senatorial officials appointed annually, and their names appear on the quadrans as a deliberate Augustan gesture: bronze coinage, traditionally a senatorial prerogative, was being visibly administered by Rome's traditional governing class even as Augustus quietly controlled everything above it.
The 8 BC issue falls in the second year of this revived series. These struck in enormous numbers for petty transactions at markets, baths, and taverns.