09617 - Greek and Roman Numismatics

Learning outcomes

The course aims to provide the fundamental knowledge related to the characteristics of coinage as a historical source, an archaeological artifact, and a museum object. At the end of the course, the student will be able to: identify and date Greek and Roman coins; use bibliographic tools and digital resources useful for cataloguing ancient coins; recognize the symbolic and commemorative aspects of the iconographic message conveyed by coins.

Course contents

The course aims to provide an overview of the different phases of coin production in the Greek and Roman world, outlining the main characteristics of the principal ancient coinages and paying particular attention to the metrological and iconographic features that distinguish numismatic evidence in relation to different cultural contexts and historical periods. A number of sessions (for a total of four hours) will be devoted to practical activities involving the identification and cataloguing of Roman coins from the Republican and Imperial periods, or more generally to the direct examination of numismatic material.

The following topics will be addressed during the course:

• Definition of the discipline and of the materials it studies.
• The main aspects and fields of numismatic research: coins as historical evidence and archaeological data.
• The origins and development of coin collecting and numismatic literature.
• Coinage in the ancient world: characteristics and functions.
• An outline of Greek and Roman numismatics.
• Identification and classification of numismatic materials.
• Focus topic: “Non-monetary uses of coins in the ancient world: amuletic coins, talismanic coins, and coin jewelry”.

Readings/Bibliography

The following bibliography is required for exam preparation

Attending and non-attending students:

Textbook

• F. Barello, Archeologia della moneta. Produzione e utilizzo nell'antichità, Roma 2006.

Articles (focus topic)

• C. Perassi, Usi “non monetali” delle monete romane. Monete-gioiello, monete-talismano, monete-offerta, in G. Russo, M. Chimienti (eds.), Colloqui di Numismatica. I, 2003-2004, Bologna 2005, 37-49.
  

• A.L. Morelli, Il gioiello monetale in età romana, in I. Baldini Lippolis, M.T. Guaitoli (eds.), Oreficeria antica e medievale. Tecniche, produzione, società, Bologna 2009, 79-101.

Further reading for non-attending students:

• A.L. Morelli, La patera di Rennes: analisi numismatica, in I. Baldini Lippolis, A.L. Morelli (eds.), Oggetti-simbolo: produzione, uso e significato nel mondo antico, Bologna 2011, 105-128.

All bibliographic resources are available on the platform virtuale.unibo.it.

Teaching methods

• Lecture-based teaching.
• Practical sessions on the identification and cataloguing of numismatic materials.
• Optional visit to the coin cabinet of the National Museum of Ravenna, with direct examination of specimens from the museum’s numismatic collection.

Assessment methods

Students who attend at least 75% of the lessons are considered to be attending.

The final exam will be oral and will assess students’ knowledge of the course contents, on the basis of the bibliographic material indicated above.

Students will be asked to provide an organic view of the topics developed during the course, making connections between them and showing the ability to analyze and interpret the acquired data.

In particular, each student will be asked two questions aimed at assessing basic knowledge of numismatics (textbook by F. Barello). A third question will concern the articles included in the course bibliography for the focus topic.

• Top marks (30 cum laude-28) will be awarded to students displaying their ability to use the numismatic evidence as a source for historical reconstruction, combined with a critical approach to the discipline and a confident and effective use of the appropriate terminology.
• Fair marks (27-23) will be awarded to students demonstrating a mnemonic knowledge of the subject, combined with a correct, but not always appropriate, command of the field-specific language.
• A pass mark (or just above) (22-18) will be assigned to students showing a superficial knowledge of the material, in addition to a scarce analytical and expressive ability in the discussion of the topics examined.
• Students will be deemed to have failed the exam if they display significant gaps in their understanding of the subject, in addition to a partial and inadequate knowledge of the bibliography, and/or together with a poor command of the appropriate terminology.
  
  

Students will not be admitted to the oral exam if they have not prepared all the required bibliography.

Exam sessions for the year 2027 are expected to be held in the following months (the exact dates will be published on AlmaEsami well in advance):

- May 2027 (for all students);
- June 2027 (for all students);
- July 2027 (for all students);
- September 2027 (for students with pending exam);
- October 2027 (for students with pending exam);
- November 2027 (for students with pending exam).

Teaching tools

• PowerPoint presentations covering the topics addressed during the lectures.
• Use of traditional tools and online resources for numismatic research.

All support material for learning is available on the platform virtuale.unibo.it.

Students with learning disorders and/or temporary or permanent disabilities: please, contact the office responsible (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en/for-students ) as soon as possible so that they can propose acceptable adjustments. The request for adaptation must be submitted in advance (15 days before the exam date) to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of the adjustments, taking into account the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Erica Filippini