Was there free coinage of precious metals in Ancient times?

MKUltra24

I read somewhere that there was a time when Americans could take gold bullion in and have it minted into coins (minus a small fee) and it made me wonder: was there free coinage of precious metals in ancient times in Rome or Greece?

Like hypothetically let’s say I was an Ancient Roman legionary returning home to Rome after a campaign with my war booty that I looted from the stinky barbarian “butter eaters”.

If I had say a 1kg bar of gold and a 1kg bar of silver was there anywhere I could take it and have it minted into silver denari and gold aurei?

Or would I have to sell it as bullion to someone to get money from it?

If anyone happens to have any knowledge on this subject your input would be appreciated.

Thanks!

Sapyx

No.

In ancient Rome, the coinage was the personal property of the emperor that issued it. The issuing and distribution of coinage was controlled by treasury bureaucrats directly appointed by the emperor.

As a general rule, war booty was centrally controlled. Soldiers were not encouraged to keep the spoils of war. If a soldier found quantities of gold and silver, they would be expected to hand it over to the military hierarchy, which of course had the emperor at the top. The emperor or victorious general would need the booty for display in the triumphal parade back in Rome. The soldier would be paid in coin, often from a mint that travelled with the army. So a soldier's booty would often be promptly turned into coin, at least some of which would be expected to be returned to him, but it wasn't a direct 1:1 exchange.

Of course, in the deprivations of war, such order was not always kept. There are numerous recorded occasions where, after a long and ultimately successful siege, the Roman general "gave the city to his troops", which would result in an ill-disciplined free-for-all rampage of looting and pillaging; a soldier finding booty in such circumstances would just as likely lose it to a stronger, less-drunk soldier.

As for general citizens exchanging bullion for coin, this too was not done directly. For much of the early Imperial period, Rome itself did not even have a mint, except for producing bronze coins for local use; most of the minting of gold and silver was done in the Imperial mint in Lugdunum, now known as Lyons, France.

MKUltra24

@Sapyx said:
No.

In ancient Rome, the coinage was the personal property of the emperor that issued it. The issuing and distribution of coinage was controlled by treasury bureaucrats directly appointed by the emperor.

As a general rule, war booty was centrally controlled. Soldiers were not encouraged to keep the spoils of war. If a soldier found quantities of gold and silver, they would be expected to hand it over to the military hierarchy, which of course had the emperor at the top. The emperor or victorious general would need the booty for display in the triumphal parade back in Rome. The soldier would be paid in coin, often from a mint that travelled with the army. So a soldier's booty would often be promptly turned into coin, at least some of which would be expected to be returned to him, but it wasn't a direct 1:1 exchange.

Of course, in the deprivations of war, such order was not always kept. There are numerous recorded occasions where, after a long and ultimately successful siege, the Roman general "gave the city to his troops", which would result in an ill-disciplined free-for-all rampage of looting and pillaging; a soldier finding booty in such circumstances would just as likely lose it to a stronger, less-drunk soldier.

As for general citizens exchanging bullion for coin, this too was not done directly. For much of the early Imperial period, Rome itself did not even have a mint, except for producing bronze coins for local use; most of the minting of gold and silver was done in the Imperial mint in Lugdunum, now known as Lyons, France.

What do you mean the coinage was the personal property of the Emperor?

Normal Roman citizens used coinage all the time so it can’t have been the Emperor’s property.

Marcus Licinius Crassus had a fortune of 200 million sesterces and he wasn’t an Emperor.

In Ab Urbe Condita Libri, Livy writes several times about Roman legions returning from successful campaigns loaded down with war booty and mentions that many legionaries relied on war booty to meet their financial needs as the military pay they received would not have been enough on its own.

Sapyx

@MKUltra24 said:

What do you mean the coinage was the personal property of the Emperor?

Normal Roman citizens used coinage all the time so it can’t have been the Emperor’s property.

The money which the coins represented belonged to you. The coins belonged to the emperor. He graciously allowed you to use his coins to help you represent your money.

Just as in mediaeval monarchies - perhaps even more so, given that many emperors claimed divinity - the coinage in a very real sense was regarded as "belonging" to the ruler whose name and image appeared on the coins. To use the emperor's coins was to agree with the emperor's right to rule. To destroy, deface or mutilate the coinage was a crime, because they weren't your coins, to do with as you please - they belonged to the emperor.

In ancient Rome, it was even a crime to carry coins into a public latrine, or a house of ill-repute - this was seen as desecrating the name and image of the emperor.

MKUltra24

@Sapyx said:

@MKUltra24 said:

What do you mean the coinage was the personal property of the Emperor?

In ancient Rome, it was even a crime to carry coins into a public latrine, or a house of ill-repute - this was seen as desecrating the name and image of the emperor.

But prostitution was legal in Ancient Rome so how would someone be able to pay a prostitute if they couldn’t bring money in?

I’m kind of confused.

Sapyx

@MKUltra24 said:

@Sapyx said:

@MKUltra24 said:

What do you mean the coinage was the personal property of the Emperor?

In ancient Rome, it was even a crime to carry coins into a public latrine, or a house of ill-repute - this was seen as desecrating the name and image of the emperor.

But prostitution was legal in Ancient Rome so how would someone be able to pay a prostitute if they couldn’t bring money in?

I’m kind of confused.

You'd pay your money at the door, before you went in. For larger establishments with multiple booths where this was not possible, tokens were used. It's speculated (though not certain) that the enigmatic "spintria" coins were tokens for just such uses. You'd exchange your money for spintria at the door, then spend the spintria inside. Not entirely unlike modern-day casino gambling chips.