Average weights of Roman AR and AE coins over time

These tables are from Kent, Hirmer & Hirmer, Roman Coins.

 

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Thanks for the tables. I've saved them for future reference.

 

That is a very handy chart. Thanks for sending it along.

 

I have major reservations with these numbers and many others of the sort due to the way 'averages' were handled. This is largely due to the figure for 193-215 which covers the period I collect most intensively. It soon becomes obvious that there were changes in standards up and down during this period and not all line up with reign changes. The charts ignore mints but I have no way of telling if branch mint products were included in the samples. It is interesting that they recognized the rise under Pertinax and fall under Julianus (a three month period) but treated long reigns without subdivisions collectors can observe. The charts are a nice place to start but should not be taken too seriously without more study.

 

Very interesting, consistent decline in the quality of metal over all of the denominations as time passes.

 

Thanks

 

Thanks, these are very helpful! And thanks to Doug too for the cautionary note.

 

What is the "2 HS" denomination minted under Decius? That must be a massive coin.

 

It's a double sestertius ("HS" is an abbreviation for sestertius). Here's one (not mine).