#SILVER DENARIUS COIN VALUE SERIES#

Looking back at the history of the denarius, it seems that humanity hasn't changed much since the Romans. Also includes Roman Coins and their values by David Sear 1981 edition.

It is made from silver and thats why it is sometimes named as denarius argenteus. The chart below shows the silver content of the denarius throughout its lifespan.įrom the very beginning of humanity, it seems that rulers have had a tendency to use short-term solutions to long-term problems.Īs we can see below, the currency debasement created rampant inflation and the wage of the Roman soldier had to be reevaluated year after year to maintain their purchasing power. Denarius is the standard coin in the roman system.

#SILVER DENARIUS COIN VALUE SERIES#

It was the first of a long and painful series of blows for the denarius. The original denarius coins were nearly pure and contained 4.5 g of silver.Īs soon as he became emperor, Nero started debasing the coin by reducing its silver purity to 90%. It has been estimated that three denarius coins equaled a shekel. The widow had 1/64 of a day-laborer’s wage since the denarius was a soldier’s and laborer’s wage.3 The shekel varied in value depending upon the price of gold. Coins of gold and silver are said to be coins of intrinsic value. The coin was less than the smallest coin that Rome made and was valued at 1/64 of a denarius. It comes from Stacks Bowers where it sold for a hefty 900 US dollars during a 2011 auction. So what happened to the denarius during its lifespan, and what can it tell us about our current economic situation? Ancient coins were made from gold, silver, electrum, and copper and its alloys. The example in our main picture at the upper left is extraordinary. Second, what does debasement mean? In this context, debasement refers to the action of mixing precious metals coins with lower value metals such as copper or nickel. First, what is a denarius? The denarius was a silver coin used for 200 years during the roman empire.

Silver denarius coin value