Triumvir monetalis

Over the course of the late Republic from 139 BC onwards, the moneyers started to mint more personalised coins which advertised their lineages, achievements of ancestors, and other leaders.

From Caesar's dictatorship onwards, however, their freedom to do so diminished, before the empire's emergence coincided with the minting only of coins depicting the emperor and the imperial family.

Michael Crawford thinks the moneyers were elected by the Roman citizenry, even though this magistracy did not grant them admission to the Senate.

[16] The coinage of the Roman Republic changed dramatically in 139 BC after the vote of the lex Gabinia, which provided secret ballots for the elections of magistrates.

[17] By now moneyers diverted from the traditional type of the head of Roma on the obverse and either the Dioscuri or a god driving a chariot on the reverse.

They instead chose themes related to victory (with laurels, trophies, or the goddess Victoria) or the duties of the aedile (distribution of corn and public games).

[20] In 101 BC, Gaius Fundanius pictured the triumph of Marius on his denarius, the first time a living person appeared on a Roman coin.

[23] After his victory, Sulla struck coins highlighting his claim to descend from Venus, but unlike Marius, he mostly let moneyers display their own themes.

[27] The moneyers of the years following the assassination of Caesar mostly struck personal types again, but their production was gradually marginalised by the members of the Second Triumvirate (Octavian, Mark Antony, and Lepidus), who had their own dynastic coinage with their portraits.

[28] After Octavian defeated Antony at the Battle of Actium in 30 BC, he restored the appearance of the Republic and moneyers could strike their own coins again for a few years.

Denarius of C. Cossutius Maridianus, 44 BC, with the head of Julius Caesar on the obverse. The legend on the reverse mentions A. A. A. F. F.. [ 1 ]
Denarius of C. Caecilius Metellus Caprarius , 125 BC. The reverse shows the triumph of Lucius Metellus after his victory at Panormus in 251 BC. [ 8 ]
Denarius of Marcus Servilius, c. 100 BC . The reverse features a duel of his ancestor Pulex Geminus . [ 9 ]
Denarius of Gaius Fundanius, 101 BC. The reverse depicts Gaius Marius as triumphator in a chariot; the young man on horseback is probably his son . [ 9 ]