Featured Greatest Achievment, His replacement

For Roman I collect only sestertii -- unless a smaller-bronze portrait just grabs me. My offerings won't rival y'alls but such as I have share I with you ...

 

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Those bronzes are really neat!

 

Great coins @John Wright !

 

I don't have an Imperial coin of his, but I have 3 from Antioch... I might have to change that:

 

Everything is impressive about your coins.

 

Sure you do. what used to be called Greek "Imperial".

 

Haha got me there!

 

Perhaps you should consider the REAL Roman Sestertii to collect,

The AR Sestertius had IIS (2 Asses and a Semis), the name was originally a derivative of a fourth of a Denarius. Denarius was tarriffed at 10 Asses, hence 2-1/2 Asses to the Sestertius.


RR AR Sestertius After 211 BCE 12mm 1.0g Rome mint Roma r IIS - Dioscuri riding stars in ex ROMA Sear 46 Craw 44-7 RSC 4

Republic Sestertius Compared to Empire Sestertius (Marcus Aurelius):

 

I rarely see these coins for sale but do want to get one for my collection. Do you know if this is the smallest silver coin the Romans ever made?

 

Are you directing the question to me?

For normal circulation, I believe the AR Sestertius was the smallest regular AR coin Republican Rome circulated. However, I understand there is an incredibly rare Roman 1-As coin during this time. I believe it was not widely circulated.

I do have the 1-As (name is actually unknown, as Rasenna / Etrurian has not been translated), from Rasenna / Etruria - founders of Rome.


(retrograde)
Rasenna, Fufluna (Etruria, Populonia)
AR 1 As
0.60g 10.0mm
after 211 BCE
Male Head Left -
Plain Rev
Vecchi 3 68-70 HN Italy 181
EXTREMELY RARE

 

I had no idea there was such a coin as a silver As. If the silver sestertius weighed one gram, I was wondering if someone would have proposed one of the later Roman siliqua as of lesser weight than the sestertius as some come in at the circa one gram weight but I think they were clipped to the lower weight and not issued as such. So, I guess the one gram sestertius would be the smallest (lightest) silver coin as part of a regular issue.

 

I really enjoy exploring these niches. Interesting how various coins, as a reflection of the economies, changed as times changed. A huge upheaval was the Denarius Reform of 211 BCE due to the effects of the War with Hannibal (2nd Punic War.) However, the Roman Republic was starting with a good coinage base with the Heavy Denarii series a 100 year span before, but changed due to a nasty war crisis. Another was the AE Coins changing under Augustus, and then we all know about the coin debasements under Caracalla (Double-Denarius), that later resulted in Fiat (Token monies). My interest dwindles after 500+ years use of the Denarius (approx 310 BCE with the first Heavy Denarius, through approx 212 CE with the intro of the Double-Denarius.)

First Denarius

RR Anon AR Heavy Denarius - Didrachm 310-300 BCE 7.3g 21mm Mars-Horse FIRST Cr 13-1 Left


One of the Last "Denarii" (I know some were issued later)

RI Caracalla 198-217 AR Denarius MONETA

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Fineness_of_early_Roman_Imperial_silver_coins.png

 

Did the Third Century Romans call these coins didrachmas or denarii or was their name for them something else?

 

Sear classifies them as didrachms. The first denarii -- not a denarius "Reform" -- were issued ca. 211 BCE.

 

In reading Kenneth Harl’s book, he states from the view of the Roman, the first AR coins were DENARIUS. He argues that they were tarriffed at 10 Asses, and “Denarius” is a derivative of Ten in Latin. I agree with that perspective, because it is the perspective of the Romans making THEIR coinage for THEIR usage. I think too many times we rely on a numismatist’s opinion, versus truly looking at the perspective of the original creator. He also argues that the Romans developed their first AR Denarii in 310 BCE to build and pay for the major Via Aqua and Via Appia projects.

Of course these are my perspectives, but based on some rational thinking by Harl.