<p>April A. Knecht</p>

Understanding your Roman treasure coin starts with what may seem like its unlikely connection… to cattle.

One of the Latin words for money is pecunia, which originates from the Latin word for cattle. In Roman times, cattle provided sustenance, security and an indication of affluence. With cattle you could buy all of lifes necessities and measure your wealth compared to others both within your culture and outside of it.

But trading cattle for goods became increasingly cumbersome in the soon sprawling Roman lands. It just wasnt practical to drive cattle great distances.

In response, crude, shapeless heavy coins were cast in bronze in the fifth century BC. Sometime during the third century BC, Roman coins began to carry images of animals, tridents and shields.

Next came the coinage that was to be the forerunner of all coinage to come. Called aes grave (heavy bronze), the coins were still cast, but were circular. Later, around 211 BC, Romans issued the first coins that were uniquely their own.

These are the solidus, denarius, sestarius and quinarius. At last, Roman coins as we think of them were produced – struck coinage that came to be recognized throughout the republic, and later, the empire. These coins bear the image of the emperor, legends (written script) on the obverse and reverse, and deities, personifications, military images, civic images and symbols on the reverse. Struck in bronze, silver and gold, these coins were minted throughout the empire, on and off, as it expanded and contracted throughout the centuries.

Bronze coinage, with varying levels of silver (usually a very small percentage, and later, no silver at all) relied, in part, on the strength of the local government for their value. Used by the common Roman citizens, bronze coinage acted as trading tokens in the markets for small, daily purchases. And, they had another purpose: The legends and images on them communicated messages to the lower classes, who were often illiterate.

The coins celebrate military campaigns and victories, the piety of the emperors or civic building projects. Much like the propaganda posters of the modern world, these coins were daily reminders of the messages the emperor and ruling classes wished to convey.

Coins of silver – the famed silver denarius included – were more often used by the upper-middle and upper classes, as well as the military. Soldiers fought for gold and silver only — metals that relied on no government for their value and could be traded anywhere, both inside and outside the empire.

Sometimes minted in field mints right in the camps, silver and gold coins were minted by the emperor; it was his responsibility, not the governments, to ensure his fighting force was paid both their salary and extra monetary rewards for victories.

In fact, our word salary comes from the Latin word slarium. Sal is the Latin word for salt, hence to be worth ones salt is to be worth ones pay. Salt was a precious commodity in the eras before canning and refrigeration, and Roman soldiers were required to buy their own food, weapons and uniforms. Most certainly, a part of their salary would have been earmarked for salt — the main means of food preservation in the field.

No matter what their composition, each Roman coin was valued and used for transactions large and small throughout the empire. Each is an ambassador… a small link to centuries past that whisper the story of the rise, expansion and fall of one of the greatest civilizations the world has ever known.

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April A. Knecht is a historian and treasure hunter and can be reached at april@cannonbeachtreasure.com.