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Message:: [QUOTE="Plumbata, post: 3550027, member: 96864"]Thank you [USER=74282]@red_spork[/USER]  and [USER=75525]@rrdenarius[/USER] that provides good context for appreciating the coins a bit more.  Looking at that Servian Reform chart it seems remarkable to me that 11,000 (or less?) asses of capital (3.597 metric tons!) constituted the least wealthy class. With Tin at 18.83 USD/kg and Copper at 5.81/kg today 11,000 asses of 10% tin bronze would be worth 6,773.15+18,808.71=25,581.86 USD, or if it was 11,000 asses of pure copper as the chart suggests then that would be 20,898.57 USD, either figure representing a lot more financial capital than the least wealthy classes of today have on hand. Clearly one can't draw linear economic comparisons across 100, let alone 2,500 years but it's interesting nonetheless. From the modern collector perspective it seems as though the Denarius is viewed as the base unit, like a 1$ or € or £, but at that time it appears as though it was viewed as a 10$ or € or £ denomination. Pedestrian observation to be sure but I appreciate having the gears turn thanks to quality threads like this. Sorry for getting off-topic.[/QUOTE]