System and Product in Roman Mints from the Late Republic to the High Principate: Some Current Problems

This contribution treats various questions relating to the inner working of Roman mints. It has two main parts. The first one deals with Roman coin types of the late Republican period bearing marks of different kinds – control numbers and letters – whose interpretation is disputed. In the second part of the article, the organisation and the administration of the Roman mint in the High Principate are discussed in the light of epigraphic and numismatic evidence. A special focus is on the interpretation of the job designations of Roman mint workers as preserved in the Trajanic inscription CIL VI, 44, and in particular on the role of the signatores in the coining process.