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Roman Coins
Common Roman Coins
The most common Roman coins
were as follows:
The As was a copper alloy
coin, stamped on one side with the beak of a ship, and on the other
with the double head of Janus. It originally weighed one pound; but
was afterwards reduced to half an ounce, without suffering, however,
any diminution of value ***
Sestertius was a silver
coin, stamped on one side with Castor and Pollux, and on the
opposite with the city. This was so current a coin, that the word
Nummus, money, is often used absolutely to express it ***
Denarius was a silver coin,
valued at ten asses. It was stamped with the figure of a carriage
drawn by four beasts, and on the other side, with a head covered
with a helmet, to represent Rome ***
Victoriatus was a silver
coin, half the value of a Denarius. It was stamped with the figure
of Victory, from whence its name was derived. Being worth five
Asses, it was called Quinarius
Libella, Sembella,
Teruncius, were also silver coins, but of less value than the above.
Libella was of the same worth as the As
*** Sembella was half a Libella
and the Teruncius was half of a Sembella
Aureus Denarius was a gold
coin, about the size of a silver Denarius, and probably stamped in a
similar manner. At first, forty Aurei were made out of a pound of
gold; but under the Emperors it was not so intrinsically valuable,
being mixed with alloy ***
The value of the Aureus,
which was also called Solidus, varied at different times. According
to Tacitus, it was valued and exchanged for 25 Denarii
Roman Coins -
Abbreviations
The Abbreviations used by
the Romans to express these various kinds of money were as
follows: As, L. for the Sesterce *** L. L. S. or H. S. for the
Quinary *** V. for the Denarius, X
Roman Coins - Sesterces
Sesterces were the kind of
money in which the Romans usually made their
computations.—1,000 Sesterces made up a sum called
Sestertium. The art of reckoning by Sesterces was regulated
by these rules: First—If a numeral adjective
were joined to Sestertii, and agreed with it in case, it signified
just so many Sesterces; as decem Sestertii, 10 Sesterces ***
Second—If a numeral adjective,
of a different case, were joined to the genitive plural of Sestertius, it signified so many thousand Sesterces; as decem
Sestertium, 10,000 Sesterces ***
Third—If a numeral adverb were
placed by itself, or joined to Sestertium, it signified so many
hundred thousand Sesterces; as Decies, or decies Sestertium,
1,000,000 Sesterces ***
Fourth—When the sums are
expressed by letters, if the letters have a line over them, they
signify also so many hundred thousand Sesterces: thus, H. S. M̅. C̅.
denotes the sum of 1,100 times 100,000 Sesterces
Roman Coins
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