Hollander (history, Iowa State U.) has here extensively revised his dissertation Roman Money in the Late Republic, submitted to Columbia University in 2002, since which time a few passages have slipped out into separate publication. He investigates the nature and use of money from the creation of the denarius system during the Second Punic War to the battle of Actium in 31 BCE, in order to clarify the development of the Roman economy during this period of rapid imperial expansion and increased wealth. His concern is not just coins, but the entire system of wealth and exchange, including financial instruments and pecuniary assets. Annotation ©2007 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
Like coinage, bullion, financial instruments and a variety of commodities played an important role in Rome's monetary system. This book examines how the availability of such assets affected the demand for coinage and the development of the late Republican economy.
