358:
538:
25:
133:
308:
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509:
872:
animam et corpus aestimari: hinc vestem arma tentoria, hinc saevitiam centurionum et vacationes munerum redimi. At hercule verbera et vulnera, duram hiemem, exercitas aestates, bellum atrox: aut sterilem pacem sempiterna) Nec aliud levamentum quam si certis sub legibus militia iniretur, ut
436:
Sestertii continued to be struck until the late 3rd century, although there was a marked deterioration in the quality of the metal used and the striking even though portraiture remained strong. Later emperors increasingly relied on melting down older sestertii, a process which led to the
466:, but in the 2nd century, as inflation hit, the sestertius became the dominant small change. In the 3rd century silver coinage contained less and less silver, and more and more copper or bronze. By the 260s and 270s the main unit was the double-denarius, the
773:(54–68 AD) between the years 64 and 68 AD, created by some of the most accomplished coin engravers in history. The brutally realistic portraits of this emperor, and the elegant reverse designs, greatly impressed and influenced the artists of the
504:
Eventually, many sestertii were withdrawn by the state and by forgers, to melt down to make the debased
Antoninianus, which made inflation worse. In the coinage reforms of the 4th century, the sestertius played no part and passed into history.
796:
As a result of ceasing production and withdrawals from circulation in the 4th century, sestertii are less common as a whole compared to other Roman bronze coins. Fully struck examples with sharp detail often command high premiums at auction.
407:
The brass sestertius typically weighs in the region of 25 to 28 grams, is around 32–34 mm in diameter and about 4 mm thick. The distinction between bronze and brass was important to the Romans. Their name for brass was
461:
of the silver currency meant that the purchasing power of the sestertius and smaller denominations like the dupondius and as was steadily reduced. In the 1st century AD, everyday small change was dominated by the dupondius and
441:
component being gradually lost as it burned off in the high temperatures needed to melt copper (zinc melts at 419 °C but boils at 907 °C, copper melts at 1085 °C). The shortfall was made up with bronze and even
732:
slave girl called
Fortunata for 600 denarii, equal to 2,400 sestertii, to a man called Vegetus. It is difficult to make any comparisons with modern coinage or prices, but for most of the 1st century AD, the ordinary
296:, and the whole struck through; but because this symbol and striking through letters are not always convenient, HS may be used instead, with the horizontal bar of the 'H' representing the strike through the numeral
470:, but by then these small coins were almost all bronze. Although these coins were theoretically worth eight sestertii, the average sestertius was worth far more in plain terms of the metal it contained.
741:(81–96 AD), the equivalent of 3.3 sestertii per day. Half of it was deducted for living costs, leaving the soldier, if he was lucky enough to get paid, with about 1.65 sestertii per day.
418:(echoing the word for a gold coin, aureus), meaning 'gold-copper', because of its shiny, gold-like appearance when the coins were newly struck (see, for example
781:(117–138 AD), recording his travels around the Roman Empire, depicts the Empire at its height, and included the first representation on a coin of the figure of
634:
The sestertius was also used as a standard unit of account and was represented on inscriptions with the monogram HS. Large values were recorded in terms of
855:
769:, since their large size gave engravers a large area in which to produce detailed portraits and reverse types. The most celebrated are those produced for
1361:
761:
in 64 AD. The reverse depicts the emperor on horseback with a companion. The legend reads DECVRSIO, meaning "a military exercise". Diameter 35 mm
702:
a day, out of which they had to pay, among other things, for their own uniforms. They demanded to be paid a denarius a day, and they got it.
877:
mererent, sextus decumus stipendii annus finem adferret, ne ultra sub vexillis tenerentur, sed isdem in castris praemium pecunia solveretur.
384:
aureus. The sestertius was produced as the largest brass denomination until the late 3rd century AD. Most were struck in the mint of
1442:
666:
958:
1467:
354:, still equal to one quarter of a denarius. It was produced sporadically, far less often than the denarius, through 44 BC.
602:
89:
841:
574:
61:
446:. Later sestertii tend to be darker in appearance as a result and are made from more crudely prepared blanks (see the
896:
621:
108:
350:(due to the gradual reduction in the size of bronze denominations), the sestertius was accordingly revalued to four
429:
Orichalcum was considered, by weight, to be about double the value of copper. This is why the half-sestertius, the
581:
68:
1462:
1520:
559:
380:, was worth one quarter of a sestertius. Augustus tariffed the value of the sestertius as one hundredth of the
46:
588:
75:
930:
1457:
951:
555:
42:
570:
57:
1447:
1003:
926:
Sestertius issued by
Caligula in memory of his mother Agrippina the Elder (numismatics.org:1952.81.2)
681:
three sestertii, a bucket two sestertii, a tunic fifteen sestertii, a donkey five hundred sestertii.
490:
1324:
548:
35:
477:(270–275 AD). During the end of its issue, when sestertii were reduced in size and quality, the
944:
916:
An early (211/10 CE) Sestertius at the
American Numismatic Society (numismatics.org:1975.134.7)
485:(249–251 AD) and later in large quantity by the ruler of a breakaway regime in the West, named
1421:
1105:
786:
493:
his image and legends on. The double sestertius was distinguished from the sestertius by the
1477:
642:
often omitted and implied. The wealthy general and politician of the late Roman
Republic,
8:
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1356:
331:
as a small silver coin valued at one-quarter of a denarius (and thus one hundredth of an
595:
82:
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1452:
1249:
892:
849:
478:
690:
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Tacitus, Annales 1.17.4 and 1.17.5: Enimvero militiam ipsam gravem, infructuosam:
433:, was around the same size and weight as the bronze was, but was worth two asses.
1281:
1051:
651:
521:
419:
217:
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335:). A silver denarius was supposed to weigh about 4.5 grams, valued at ten
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1335:
1153:
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920:
806:
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193:
189:
1514:
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694:, book I, chapter 17.4 and 17.5, soldiers of the Rhine army who rose against
494:
482:
357:
1228:
1169:
993:
971:
766:
467:
372:, the sestertius was reintroduced as a large brass denomination, while the
215:
means "two and one half", referring to its nominal value of two and a half
201:
186:
936:
737:
was paid nine hundred sestertii per annum, rising to twelve hundred under
508:
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worn by the emperor, a device used to distinguish the dupondius from the
229:), a value that was useful for commerce because it was one quarter of a
1398:
1073:
458:
410:
132:
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1343:
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An
Augustan Sestertius from an Asian Mint (numismatics.org:2006.21.9)
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24:
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988:
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474:
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343:(1.125 grammes). In practice, the coins were usually underweight.
230:
143:
1403:
1220:
1057:
844:. 13 January 2007. Archived from the original on 13 January 2007.
778:
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713:
being sold at auction for 6,252 sestertii. A writing tablet from
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312:
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English-language sources routinely use the original Latin form
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anywhere from less than half to more than one sestertius. One
1287:
1089:
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710:
670:
205:
146:
riding right, ROMA in linear frame below. RSC4, C44/7, BMC13
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A loaf of bread cost roughly half a sestertius, and a
339:, with the silver sestertius valued at two and a half
842:"Roman Economy – Prices & Cost in Ancient Rome"
654:to have had "estates worth 200 million sesterces".
562:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
489:(259–268 AD), who often used worn old sestertii to
49:. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed.
785:; centuries later it was revived by English king
280:. A modern shorthand for values in sestertii is
1512:
854:: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (
245:, "third", in which "third" refers to the third
200:coin issued only on rare occasions. During the
368:In or about 23 BC, with the coinage reform of
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346:When the denarius was retariffed to sixteen
966:
765:Early brass sestertii are highly valued by
959:
945:
473:Some of the last sestertii were struck by
622:Learn how and when to remove this message
284:(Unicode 𐆘), in which the Roman numeral
109:Learn how and when to remove this message
748:
507:
501:and the Antoninianus from the denarius.
356:
306:
825:
264:; but older literature frequently uses
1513:
940:
886:
560:adding citations to reliable sources
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249:: the sestertius was worth two full
47:adding citations to reliable sources
18:
744:
638:, thousands of sestertii, with the
388:but from AD 64 during the reign of
178:
164:
140:Helmed Roma head right, IIS behind
13:
789:, and continues to feature on the
646:, who fought in the war to defeat
527:
311:Example of a detailed portrait of
14:
1532:
909:
891:. London: Seaby. pp. 10–12.
830:. London: Longmans. p. 214.
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276:being the English equivalent of
131:
23:
826:Kennedy, Benjamin Hall (1930).
728:–125 AD, records the sale of a
547:needs additional citations for
151:AR 0.96 g – RSC4, C44/7, BMC13
34:needs additional citations for
880:
862:
834:
819:
324:The sestertius was introduced
1:
933:January 4, 2009, Roger Pearse
812:
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889:Roman Coins and their Values
404:), supplemented production.
237:. The name is derived from
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1463:Antony's Legionary denarii
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1448:Denarius of L. Censorinus
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931:How much is a sestertius?
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300:, rather than the letter
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125:
828:The Revised Latin Primer
396:(AD 69–79), the mint of
126:Anonymous AR sestertius
887:Sear, David R. (1981).
777:. The series issued by
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453:The gradual impact of
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1521:Coins of ancient Rome
1453:Ides of March coinage
1422:Constantinian bronzes
870:denis in diem assibus
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511:
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253:and half of a third.
225:Roman coin, singular
1478:Judaea Capta coinage
556:improve this article
481:was issued first by
450:coin on this page).
43:improve this article
1492:Ancient Rome Portal
233:, a coin worth ten
1499:Numismatics Portal
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669:(6.67 kg) of
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528:Unit of account
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516:, dupondius of
424:Natural History
420:Pliny the Elder
414:, also spelled
392:(AD 54–68) and
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204:it was a large
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661:(c. 0.5 L) of
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612:November 2009
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573: –
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567:Find sources:
561:
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545:This article
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60: –
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54:Find sources:
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38:
37:
32:This article
30:
26:
21:
20:
1497:
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1468:Roman Judaea
1255:
1229:Antoninianus
1206:Early Empire
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994:Aes signatum
972:Ancient Rome
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882:
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764:
757:, struck at
721:), dated to
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571:"Sestertius"
566:
554:Please help
549:verification
546:
520:, and as of
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468:Antoninianus
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428:
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58:"Sestertius"
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41:Please help
36:verification
33:
1376:Late Empire
1038:Quadrigatus
1033:Victoriatus
775:Renaissance
416:aurichalcum
1399:Miliarense
1272:; later 4)
1256:Sestertius
1231:(32 asses)
1028:Sestertius
813:References
787:Charles II
582:newspapers
491:overstrike
459:debasement
457:caused by
411:orichalcum
315:117 to 138
258:sestertius
213:sestertius
160:sestertius
69:newspapers
1391:Tremissis
1344:Argenteus
1276:Dupondius
1241:Quinarius
1048:(2 asses)
1046:Dupondius
793:coinage.
783:Britannia
735:legionary
726: 75
715:Londinium
673:in 79 AD
659:sextarius
648:Spartacus
455:inflation
448:Hostilian
431:dupondius
394:Vespasian
362:Hostilian
270:sesterces
268:, plural
262:sestertii
260:, plural
211:The name
185:) was an
183:sesterces
170:sestertii
1515:Category
1367:Denarius
1362:Laureate
1304:Quadrans
1235:Denarius
1186:Semuncia
1138:Quadrans
1106:Quincunx
1023:Denarius
989:Aes rude
850:cite web
801:See also
739:Domitian
696:Tiberius
487:Postumus
475:Aurelian
402:Lugdunum
370:Augustus
266:sesterce
231:denarius
175:sesterce
144:Dioscuri
1404:Siliqua
1386:Solidus
1357:Radiate
1336:Solidus
1311:⁄
1295:⁄
1267:⁄
1221:Dacicus
1193:⁄
1177:⁄
1161:⁄
1154:Sextans
1145:⁄
1129:⁄
1113:⁄
1097:⁄
1081:⁄
1065:⁄
1058:Dodrans
968:Coinage
779:Hadrian
717:(Roman
709:show a
707:Pompeii
686:Tacitus
675:Pompeii
644:Crassus
596:scholar
514:Hadrian
422:in his
364:AD 251
320:History
313:Hadrian
278:tertius
243:tertius
83:scholar
1417:Nummus
1412:Follis
1395:Silver
1353:Copper
1349:Nummus
1340:Silver
1246:Copper
1225:Silver
1216:Aureus
1122:Triens
1019:Silver
1015:Aureus
985:Bronze
895:
730:Gallic
719:London
691:Annals
667:modius
598:
591:
584:
577:
569:
378:copper
333:aureus
223:bronze
208:coin.
198:silver
85:
78:
71:
64:
56:
1288:Semis
1170:Uncia
1090:Semis
711:slave
700:asses
671:wheat
640:milia
603:JSTOR
589:books
352:asses
348:asses
341:asses
337:asses
294:semis
274:terce
251:asses
239:semis
235:asses
218:asses
206:brass
173:) or
90:JSTOR
76:books
1382:Gold
1332:Gold
1237:(16)
1212:Gold
1011:Gold
893:ISBN
856:link
771:Nero
759:Rome
755:Nero
663:wine
575:news
444:lead
439:zinc
398:Lyon
390:Nero
386:Rome
382:gold
292:for
190:coin
157:The
62:news
1284:(1)
1278:(2)
1252:(8)
1243:(8)
1074:Bes
1054:(1)
970:of
679:rye
558:by
282:IIS
221:(a
179:pl.
165:pl.
45:by
1517::
1282:As
1195:24
1179:12
1115:12
1052:As
852:}}
848:{{
723:c.
688:'
499:as
464:as
374:as
326:c.
304:.
298:II
286:II
272:,
247:as
227:as
181::
167::
1316:)
1313:4
1309:1
1306:(
1300:)
1297:2
1293:1
1290:(
1269:2
1265:1
1262:+
1260:2
1258:(
1198:)
1191:1
1188:(
1182:)
1175:1
1172:(
1166:)
1163:6
1159:1
1156:(
1150:)
1147:4
1143:1
1140:(
1134:)
1131:3
1127:1
1124:(
1118:)
1111:5
1108:(
1102:)
1099:2
1095:1
1092:(
1086:)
1083:3
1079:2
1076:(
1070:)
1067:4
1063:3
1060:(
960:e
953:t
946:v
901:.
858:)
625:)
619:(
614:)
610:(
600:·
593:·
586:·
579:·
552:.
400:(
302:H
290:S
177:(
163:(
112:)
106:(
101:)
97:(
87:·
80:·
73:·
66:·
39:.
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