THE USE OF COINAGE FOR LARGE PAYMENTS AT ROMAN SAGALASSOS (SW ANATOLIA). COMBINING EVIDENCE FROM HISTORICAL SOURCES, COIN FINDS AND REGIONAL HOARDS

Abstract

This paper wishes to analyse the use of high-value coinage for large payments at Sagalassos during the Roman imperial and late Roman period. To start, two case-studies on possible contexts in which large payments could have taken place, i.e. taxation and public expenses, will be presented for Roman Asia Minor and the region of Sagalassos in particular. Afterwards, the article will focus on the concrete evidence that exists for large transactions and/or the use of high-value coinage, from both historical sources, coin finds from the excavations, and regional hoard evidence. These different material categories will afterwards be combined to analyse the role coinage might have played when large sums had to be paid by the citizens, elite or civic government at Sagalassos.

Keywords

• roman asia minor, sagalassos, high-value coinage, taxation, public expenses