Second imperial monetary workshop

A monetary workshop is created with Lyon as of 43 av. J. - C., year of foundation of the city. When the emperor Auguste reorganizes the coining of the Empire, it makes of Lyon an imperial workshop which becomes starting from 15 av. J. - C. one of largest of the Roman world.

The monetary Atelier having left only very few traces, it is however probable that it was located on the hill of Fourvière in the district of Saint-Just (Lyon). The Cave Bérelle, large underground cistern (16 X 15 m X 3,6 m, capacity of 440 m3) preserved near the Saint-Just college, could correspond to the water reserve of the barracks of the urban troop assigned to the guard of the workshop.

Indeed, the epigraphic inscription of the tomb of a legionary revealed that this last had been affected with the cohors XVII lugdununensis AD monetam , this expression showing well the particular role of the troop, ensuring the safety of the monetary workshop.

The first emissions were struck by the Roman generals Lucius Munatius Plancus, Antoine then Octave- Auguste. Octave become the emperor Auguste, starting from -14 front J. - C., the workshop changes dimension then, in order to provide for the pay of the soldiers confined in Gaulle or in the Rhenish areas in particular.

The workshop closes in 82 a. J. - C. to only reopen very temporarily into 197, under Clodius Albinus. It will be necessary to await the end of the 3rd century under Aurélien, probably into 274, so that the workshop takes again really service, because of the renewal of activity of the legions to be paid in these disturbed periods.

The workshop again plays a key role for the production of the official currencies of the Empire. However from 294, the imperial capacity decides to create a monetary workshop with Trier, and the workshop of Lyon is found thus reduced to the row of complementary workshop. The production activities continue during the 4th century and until the beginning of the 5th century.

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