The numismatics of Roman Hispania spans the period from the arrival of Rome to the Iberian Peninsula (3rd century BC) until the fall of the Western Roman Empire. During this period, Hispania transformed from a mosaic of pre-Roman peoples with local coinage to a full integration into the Roman monetary system, while maintaining its own particularities.
Types of coins and materials
- Bronze: The most common metal in Hispano-Roman coinage, especially in everyday coins such as the as and its fractions. Bronze coins circulated widely on the peninsula, both during the Republican and Imperial periods.
- Silver: The denarius was the most iconic silver coin, used for high-value transactions. Its importance was such that the word "money" derives from the word denarius. The silver used in these denarii came largely from Spanish mines, especially in the southern Iberian Peninsula.
- Gold : Gold coins were scarce in Hispania, reserved for imperial and high-value issues.
Mints and issues
During the Roman period, more than 150 Hispanic cities issued coins at some point. The most important mints included:
- Emerita Augusta (Mérida)
- Tarraco (Tarragona)
- Caesaraugusta (Zaragoza)
- Cordoba (Cordoba)
- Gades (Cádiz)
- Bilbilis (Calatayud)
These mints produced both imperial and provincial and municipal coins, reflecting the integration of Hispania into the Roman administration.
Iconographic characteristics
Obverse: It usually featured the portrait of the emperor or deities, following the Roman custom of portraying the current power.
Reverse: It showed allegories, historical scenes, emblematic buildings, symbols of the issuing city or inscriptions alluding to local or imperial authority.
Legends: Initially in local alphabets (Iberian, Celtiberian), but after Romanization, Latin predominates in the inscriptions.
Function and circulation
Hispano-Roman coins served to facilitate trade, tax payments, and supplies for the army and public administration.
Despite abundant imperial coinage, local demand was so high that many provincial and municipal coins continued to circulate for decades, even with counterstamps that renewed their legal tender.
Examples of common names
| Denomination | Metal | Approximate equivalence | Main use |
| Ace | Bronze | Basic unit | Daily commerce |
| Dupondius | Bronze | 2 aces | Daily commerce |
| Sesterce | Bronze | 4 aces | Trade, savings |
| Denarius | Silver | 10 aces | Major transactions |
| Golden | Gold | 25 denarii | Big payouts |
Historical value and collectibility
Hispano-Roman coins are highly prized for their typological variety, artistic quality, and documentary value. They allow us to identify mints, historical figures, events, and the social and political evolution of Roman Hispania.
The numismatics of Roman Hispania reflects both the integration into the Roman world and the survival of local features, constituting one of the richest sources for the study of ancient peninsular history.
