REPRESENTATIONS OF STATUES ON ROMAN COINS: ICONOGRAPHIC PATTERNS, CIRCULATION OF MODELS, AND REGIONAL INFLUENCES BETWEEN THE 2ND AND 3RD CENTURIES CE

• Grant number: 25/04818-5
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Start date: September 01, 2025
• End date: August 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Humanities - Archeology - Historical Archaeology
• Principal Investigator: Vagner Carvalheiro Porto
• Grantee: Vagner Carvalheiro Porto
• Host Investigator: Carlos Augusto Ribeiro Machado
• Host Institution: Museu de Arqueologia e Etnologia (MAE). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Institution abroad: University of St Andrews, Scotland

Abstract

Roman numismatics has been widely studied from the perspective of imperial imagery and official iconography, but there is still a lack of a systematic study linking statues on provincial coins to the circulation of sculptural models in the Eastern Mediterranean, Cyprus, Western Anatolia, and the Aegean. This project aims to fill this gap by offering a novel analysis of statues on provincial coins, exploring their political function and the cultural factors influencing their regional adoption. The research examines iconographic patterns and regional influences in key monetary production cities within a territory characterized by the intense issuance of provincial coins, strong imperial presence, and a rich artistic and cultural exchange. It is based on the premise that coins, beyond their economic function, played a fundamental role in consolidating the imperial image and constructing the political and cultural identity of Roman provinces. The study investigates how the representation of statues of emperors and deities on provincial coins reflects both the official iconography of Rome and regional adaptations shaped by cultural, religious, and political factors. The guiding questions are: 1) To what extent does provincial monetary iconography reflect the influence of Rome's official iconography? 2) What criteria determined the choice of statues depicted on coins? 3) How did the movement of artisans influence the dissemination of styles among the provinces? The central hypothesis is that, in addition to serving as instruments of imperial political strategy, these representations were shaped by local demands and artistic and technical exchanges between different monetary centers. It is also suggested that the sculptural models adopted on coins may have been influenced not only by statues in public spaces but also by imperial images reproduced in reliefs and other artistic media. The study will be conducted at the University of St. Andrews, Scotland, renowned for its bibliographic collection and excellence in numismatics and Roman archaeology studies. The methodology combines iconographic, historiographic, and archaeological analysis, integrating a qualitative approach. The documentary survey will be based on widely recognized international numismatic databases, including repositories specializing in Roman period coins, as well as essential classical catalogs for the study of imperial and provincial numismatics. The collected data will be systematized in a structured database using FileMaker, allowing the organization and comparative analysis of iconographic representations. Collections from the Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum (SNG), available in the University of St. Andrews library, will also be examined. Data will be spatialized using ArcGIS georeferencing tools to map the distribution of coins, their issuing cities, and possible regional iconographic connections. The study also aims to analyze regions with a higher incidence of statues on coins to understand their reception and integration into numismatics, as well as to assess how this practice may have responded to Roman power and cultural contact dynamics between provinces. The expected contribution extends to both numismatic studies and research on artistic circulation and iconographic adaptation in the provinces. The results will enhance the understanding of the construction of the imperial image, cultural connectivity, and Rome's influence on provincial visual production. In Brazil, the study will strengthen research in Ancient Numismatics, encouraging international exchange and the incorporation of new methodologies at the Laboratory of Provincial Roman Archaeology (Larp-MAE-USP). The initiative will also have an international impact, fostering dialogue between Brazilian numismatics and researchers at the University of St. Andrews. (AU)