Conventions

Core Collection

Abbreviation    Collection
B Berlin, Staatliche Museen
C Cambridge, Fitzwilliam Museum
Cop Copenhagen, Nationalmuseet
G Glasgow, Hunterian Museum
L London, British Museum
Mu Munich, Staatliche Münzsammlung
NY New York, American Numismatic Society
O Oxford, Ashmolean Museum
P Paris, Bibliothèque Nationale de France
V Vienna, Kunsthistorisches Museum

Geographical arrangement

The arrangement of the cities follows the pattern established in RPC I. They are arranged on a geographical and political basis, from west to east. The main sub-divisions are Roman provinces (and, in the case of Asia and Phrygia-Caria, conventus).

Catalogue entries

The inscriptions have been listed using the following conventions:

  • (  ) round brackets indicate minor variants; e.g. ΣΕΒ(ΑΣΤΟΣ) means that some coins have ΣΕΒ and others ΣΕΒΑΣΤΟΣ. Only where these differences seem significant have they been separated out into different catalogue entries. This convention reflects the fact that the legends on provincial coins were not as standardised as those from the mint of Rome. Variations of spelling are quite frequent, and in some cases, virtually every die may have a slightly variant version. Round brackets ( ) are also used in the description of the designs to denote a minor aspect of the design which may not be present on all coins;
  • [  ] square brackets indicate restorations of parts of the legends which cannot yet be read due to the poor preservation of surviving specimens;
  • As in most numismatics works, r. and l. are used for right and left;
  • When a figure is holding two attributes, one with each hand, the description first lists the attribute held with the right hand, followed by the attribute held with the left hand. For example, ‘Tyche standing l., holding rudder and cornucopia’ means that Tyche is holding the rudder with her right hand and the cornucopia with her left hand.
  •  an overline is used to denote ligatures in the legends.

 

siglum

explanation

example

(Α)

Letter sometimes missing (on a die) but sometimes present (on another die).

Example on the right: a die with ΠΡΟΚΛ, another with ΠΡΟΚΛΟΥ

ƐΠΙ ΦΛ ΠΡΟΚΛ(ΟΥ)

AB

Letters in ligature.

Example on the right: ΠΡ is interpreted as Π and Ρ in ligature

Displayed as: ƐΠΙ ΦΛ ΠΡΟΚΛΟΥ

[Α]

Letters not visible or unclear on the coin(s) but restored.

Example on the right: three illegible letters restored.

ƐΠΙ ΦΛ Π[ΡΟΚ]ΛΟΥ

[   ]

Letters not visible on the coin(s), not restored, when the number of letters is unknown

Example on the right: uncertain number of illegible letters.

ƐΠΙ ΦΛ Π[   ]ΟΥ

Editorial style

Since the publication of volume I (1992), RPC follows Hart's rules of Oxford University Press.