There is one coin that explicitly ties itself to Rome’s annona (grain supply): this silver denarius (RRC 330/1) bears an inscription that clearly states it was minted for the purpose of buying grain after a senatorial decision. Tonya Rushmer (University of Sydney and 2024 ANS Summer Seminar student) will look at the political context of minting these coins for the purpose of purchasing grain and the efforts to maintain Rome’s grain supply, offering a sense of the magnitude of these issues relative to other state expenditures.
