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Message:: [QUOTE="Alegandron, post: 3298213, member: 51347"][USER=56859]@TIF[/USER] : To FINALLY answer your question! I read Kenneth Harl's "Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700".  Great book, and a wonderful overview of the whats and whys of Roman coinage over that time span. He states that the Roman Didrachm started in 310 BCE to pay for the first major Roman road, the Via Appia.  Construction started roughly 312 BCE.  He explains that the DIdrachm was tarriffed at 10 Roman Asses, and was very likely called the DENARIUS (Denarius is a derivative of Roman word for 10.)  Because they were much heavier that the Denarius Reform of 211 BCE, he described the Roman "Didrachm" as a HEAVY Denarius.  Note that the Denarius after the Reform of 211 BCE was tarriffed at 10 Asses until approx 141 BCE when it moved to 16 Asses. The Roman DRACHM, being half a Didrachm, would be tarriffed at 5 Asses or a HEAVY Quinarius. First Silver Roman Coin - Heavy Denarius / Didrachm:[ATTACH=full]873161[/ATTACH] RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius -  Didrachm 310-300 BCE Mars-Horse FIRSTTarriffed at 10 Asses Heavy Quinarius / Drachm:Tarriffed at 5 Asses [ATTACH=full]873162[/ATTACH](OP above) [ATTACH=full]873163[/ATTACH]RR Anon AR Heavy Quinarius / Half-Quadrigatus / Roman Drachm 216-214 BCE Janus ROMA Jupiter Victory Quadriga LEFT Cr  29-4 S 35 [ATTACH=full]873164[/ATTACH]RR Anon AR Heavy Quin Drachm Half  Quadrigatus 225-212 BCE 3.1g 18mm Janus Jupiter in Quadriga L Victory ROMA  Cr 28-4 S 35 SCARCE[/QUOTE]

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