Owner Comments:
Similar to their Greek predecessors, ancient Romans largely classified all people of other races and nationalities as “barbarians.” The obvious problem with such a broad delineation is that the Roman Empire constantly assimilated new lands and cultures; consequently, previously reviled barbarians continually evolved into new, tax-paying citizens of the Empire.
Throughout its history, the Roman Empire battled barbarians at nearly every border, ranging from minor incursions to full-scale wars. The list of specific barbarian tribes figuring into Roman history is prodigious: Alans, Berbers, Burgundians, Carpi, Frisii, Huns, Jutes, Lombards, Picts, Sarmatians, Scots, Suevi, Vandals — just to name a few. It might seem unfair to compile them together, since each had their own distinct origins, customs, and beliefs. Even so, that was exactly the viewpoint of many ancient Romans: barbarians were a monolith, viewed primarily as a threat unless they could be controlled, contained, or otherwise exploited for labor and military service.
Interactions between Romans and barbarians began long before the Empire. For example, the Germanic tribes (who would become highly relevant to the Empire’s ultimate downfall) originated in Scandinavia and moved southward over the first millennium BC. By the time of Julius Caesar, they had reached the Rhine; in fact, Caesar explicitly noted them as a serious future threat to Rome. A couple of centuries later, they had expanded to the Danube basin and occupied territories north of Italy to the east (mainly the Gepids, Ostrogoths, Vandals, and Visigoths) and west (mainly the Alamanni, Angles, Franks, Marcomanni, and Saxons). These clan-based tribes possessed rudimentary agricultural and husbandry skills, resulting in relatively slow population growth. They tended to emphasize martial prowess; however, their initial capacity for protracted warfare was limited given their technological state and lack of large-scale political or military organization.
Over time, the barbarians grew more sophisticated. Some groups started forming larger confederations, perhaps to more successfully raid Roman territories. In the early third century AD, southern Germanic tribes coalesced into the Alamanni, middle Rhine groups incorporated into the Franks, and North Germans converged as the Saxons. By the fourth century AD, there was a continuous barbarian belt all along Rome's frontier from the North Sea to the Euxinus Pontus (Black Sea).
Starting in the mid-fourth century AD, the barbarian barrage against the borders increased dramatically. This marked the beginning of what is referred to as the Migration Period, also known as the
Völkerwanderung, characterized by intensified human migration throughout Europe that lasted until the early Middle Ages. Early excursions involved the Germanic tribes, but they were soon forced westward, pressured by additional tribes arriving from the east — particularly the fearsome Huns. This relentless pressure fundamentally fractured the Roman economy. As borders became perilous and supply lines broke down, official Roman mints struggled to transport low-value bronze coinage to the outer provinces, particularly Gaul and Britannia.
This localized economic collapse gave rise to one of the most fascinating phenomena in ancient numismatics. Left without enough small change to conduct daily commerce, Roman citizens took matters into their own hands. Local merchants, soldiers, and civic leaders began striking their own unofficial, localized emergency money. Because these unofficial mints lacked state-of-the-art equipment and highly trained operators, the resulting coins often featured blundered legends, abstract portraiture, and crude artistry. Previously, it was assumed these crude coins were struck by invading tribes, earning them the moniker "barbarous issues." Modern numismatic scholarship reveals an ironic, more interesting pedigree: the vast majority of these coins were not struck by barbarians, but by Roman citizens driven to desperation because of the barbarians.
An example of an extraordinary barbarate coin is this imitative silver siliqua of Julian II, which introduces a startling new dimension to this localized emergency coinage. While the vast majority of these imitations involved low-value bronze intended for daily pocket change, this 1.26-gram silver issue proves that the economic fracture was so severe that even high-value precious metals were being unofficially struck in the provinces. This particular piece attempts to copy an official issue from the Treveri (modern-day Trier, Germany) mint in northern Gaul. On this coin, the local engraver skillfully rendered the pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust of the emperor. While official state-sanctioned silver was meticulously controlled to guarantee purity and exact weight, this unofficial strike offers a fascinating, albeit crude, provincial interpretation of imperial wealth.
The reverse of the coin adds another profound historical irony to the piece. It imitates a classic Roman vow, displaying the blundered inscription VOTS / V / MVLTS / X in four lines within a wreath. This imagery was traditionally utilized to celebrate five years of successful rule and pray for ten, projecting an aura of absolute political stability and imperial longevity. Yet, this barbarian-adjacent copy was probably struck by desperate citizens in an era where such stability was an absolute illusion—and Julian II himself would soon perish in battle against the Sassanid Empire after a notoriously brief reign. The garbled attempt at a mintmark, rendered as NCT, reflects a stark disconnect between the optimistic propaganda of the central Roman government and the pragmatic reality of provincial life at barbarian borders.
While Romanized societies in the outer provinces struck imitative coins like this one out of necessity, pre-Romanized barbarians across Europe brought about an even more profound transformation. As the
Völkerwanderung pushed further into imperial territory, these migrating populations increasingly integrated into Roman society. They frequently joined the Roman military, where they learned new tactics, acquired better materials, and came to admire Roman sensibilities. Many openly sought recognition not just as Roman soldiers, but as respected officers and officials. The Romanization of the barbarians was soon unstoppable — a dynamic that ultimately resulted in the Barbarianization of Rome and laid the very foundation of modern Europe.
Additional Reading: P. Heather, Empires and Barbarians: The Fall of Rome and the Birth of Europe, 2009, Oxford University Press.
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, BARBAROUS ISSUE, Julian II, AD 360-363, AR Siliqua (16mm, 1.26 g, 9h), Contemporary imitation of a Treveri (Trier) mint issue, NGC Grade: VF, Strike: 4/5, Surface: 2/5, Obverse: Pearl-diademed, draped, and cuirassed bust right, Reverse: VOTS/ V/ MVLTS/ X in four lines within wreath, NCT in exergue, References: Cf. RIC VIII 364; cf. RSC 157a.
Image: NGC Photo Vision Plus.