Various types of Roman coins and Values of Roman Coins
Coins used by ancient Greeks and Romans thousands of years ago still
influence the coins in use today. In the ancient world, as today, coins
were made of various metals that had particular material worth. The
hierarchy basically consisted of gold coins as the most valuable,
followed by silver and various copper alloys such as brone. A good
assortment of denominations could be made up from varying the quantities
of the specific metals in coins. Starting from the most valuable, and
working downward, this article will discuss the various types of Roman
coins.
The aureus was the most valuable of the Roman coins. It was made of
gold, and modern analyses of the aureus revealed its purity level as
greater than 99%, far greater than is used in gold coins of today. The
aureus was issued from the first century B.C. until the fourth century
A.D. The aureus was about the same physical size as the silver denarii
of the time, but it was heavier due to its gold content. One aureus was
worth the following: 25 denarius; 100 sestertius; 200 dupondius; 400 as;
800 semis; and 1,600 quadrans. The silver denarii were used as the
main Roman currency of the empire from
 approximately
211 B.C. until 275 A.D. The denarius was a small silver coin that was
first mainly used in Greek territories of Rome. The denarius was worth:
4 sestertius; 8 dupondius; 16 as; 32 semis; and 64 quadrans.
The sestertius was an ancient Roman coin that was only issued on rare
occasions during the time of the Roman Republic. At that time the
sestertius was a small silver coin. After the Roman Republic became the
Roman Empire, the sestertius was a large coin made of brass. This new
sestertius weighed around 27 grams and was 4 mm thick, with a diameter
of about 33 mm. The sestertius was worth: 2 dupondius; 4 as; 8 semis;
and 16 quadrans. Dupondius is Latin for “two pounder.” This was a
brass coin used during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. At first
the dupondius was a large cast coin, though it did weigh less than two
pounds. The dupondius contained the bust of Roma on one side and a wheel
on the other. These coins were eventually made of copper alloy instead
of brass. The latest dupondii were difficult to distinguish compared to
the as because both types of coins have heavy patination (greenish tint)
blocking the coin’s true worth. The dupondius was worth: 2 as; 4 semis;
and 8 quadrants.
There was one of the first and most long lived coins in Roman history.
It was the lowest value coin that was regularly issued throughout the
Roman Empire. It started out made of bronze, and was later made out of a
different copper alloy. The as was worth: 2 semis; and 4 quadrants.
The semis was of lower denomination than the as, but it was not produced
as often. These coins were made of bronze and were worth 2 quadrants.
The quadrant was the lowest denomination of coin, beginning during the
Republic and continuing to be produced sporadically until the rule of
Antoninus Pius, who ruled from A.D. 138 to 161. |
