Reconsidering Function. Observations on Marked Roman Aurei and Denarii from the Netherlands

Marks on silver Roman denarii and gold aurei are commonly referred to as ‘banker’s marks’ or ‘countermarks’, and are assumed to test or indicate the authenticity of the coins — specifically, to detect forgeries or plated specimens. But is this assumption correct? In this article, I reconsider the traditional interpretation of these marks and explore alternative explanations for their presence.