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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;IdesOfMarch01, post: 2867835, member: 39084&quot;]<i>Sestertius</i> means “two and a half” and was originally worth 2½ asses = ¼ denarius during the period when a denarius was worth 10 asses.&nbsp; When the <i>as</i> was devalued to 1/16 denarius, the sestertius remained worth ¼ denarius, and thus it became worth four asses; the name did not change, however.&nbsp; Older literature will frequently use the singular and plural <i>sesterce</i> and <i>sesterces</i>, resp., rather than the Latin form <i>sestertius</i> and <i>sestertii</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>During the Roman Republic period, the sestertius was actually a small silver coin, and wasn’t widely minted or circulated.&nbsp; However, when Augustus became emperor, the sestertius became a large, bright brass (orichalcum) coin, as well as being the denomination in which transactions were reckoned (even if they were paid in other denominations).&nbsp; Augustus set the value of the sestertius at 1/100th of an aureus.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]684593[/ATTACH] </p><p><br /></p><p>Neither Julius Caesar nor Otho minted Imperial sestertii, so a full set of 12 Caesars Imperial sestertii would consist of 10 coins.&nbsp; However, I lack an example of Tiberius, while I have two of Caligula, so my virtual tray contains 10 coins but only nine Caesars.</p><p><br /></p><p>The large size of this coin allows for the best portraiture and most detailed reverses among Roman coins; consequently, sestertii don’t have to be mint state to display fine style and good detail.&nbsp; It’s hard for me to pick a favorite in this tray; of particular note are Galba’s outstanding portrait, Spes’ excellent sheer robe on the Claudius reverse, and the generally artistic reverses on the two Caligulas and Vespasian Judaea Capta.</p><p><br /></p><p>Let’s see those (complete or incomplete) sets of 12 Caesars sestertii!</p><p><br /></p><p><b>Next: Denarii Virtual Tray</b>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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