New in mine collection Galba sestertius

Dougsmit: Understood about the Sestertius being 1/100th of an Aureus...but that was minted later, as Rome was not into much gold during the Republican era... However, interesting observation regarding "surviving" texts!
Gilgald: Agreed about the Sestertius' origin as a silver coin (I have a few - cool coins). I was more alluding to Romans starting their Coinage in the Aes cast mintage (Rude, Siguntum, Grave), where they handled a lot of bronze/copper in their transactions before they FINALLY got into silver during the Punic Wars...
So, I am still stumped as to why they use the Sestertius as the basic monetary unit of account. Great answers, and thanks for your help!

 

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Could be for no better reason than they decided to use the denomination as a base. There are no written records as to why this happened. But I think you're on your way to understanding it better.

 

I still prefer the explanation that the unit of account was the sestertium which was short for millia sestertiorum and that the numbers you see as account had nothing to do with the coins. this article is both worthless and informative:
http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/secondary/SMIGRA*/Sestertius.html

The highlight is in the tinted box at the top where the writer puts down certain types of classicists and gives the four functions of arithmetic. I was a classics major in college and I met some of these guys.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sestertius

Here is the Wikipedia article about it.

 

Agreed: At THIS point, I am leaning towards a) Rome's currency was rooted in bronze/copper vs. Greece rooted in silver; b) since the Sestertius was so small when struck in silver, the resurrected it as a copper/bronze piece. c) Additionally, since the Denarius was "theoretically" a day's wages, a smaller monetary unit of account was a little more practical using the Sestertius... But, Dougsmit has a great answer, too, that "surviving" texts reference the Sestertius... Thanks for the help guys!

 

Thanks, have already read the Wiki as well as other research. It still leaves the question in suspense...

 

Nice addition, my coin-friend (I like the 2nd photo-attempt the best)

Ummmm, I just recently scored a Galba ...

Galba, Æ As
Rome mint
68-69 AD
Struck circa October 68 AD
Diameter: 27 mm
Weight: 10.6 grams
Obverse: Laureate head right
Reverse: LIBERTAS PVBLICA, Libertas standing facing, head left, holding pileus and rod; S-C across field
Reference: RIC I 328

 

Nice Galba score my coin friend.

 

Here is a video which is very long but it may help you to understand some more things about early coinage.

 

Great article. Thanks... not seen this one. Explains the breakdown, but not why it became the common monetary unit. May remain a mystery!

 

Great coin, ro1974! Here is my first Galba for you:



SER GALBA IMP CAESAR AVG TR P / LIBERTAS PVBLICA S C
Sestertius, Rome October 68
25,33 gr / 37 mm
RIC 387, BMCRE 68

 

wow Thanks

 

natural color