Replica - Roman Cultural Journey Urb Roman Province 269-217 BC

(en) Issued from 269-217 BC

Coins of the Roman Cultural journey
Greek cities in the south of Italy and Sicily already issued Bronze coins in the 5th century BC. Etruria followed with silver coins in the Greek style. The Romans, as a farmers Nation, used their livestock as currency, or later metal bars or casted “heavy money” (Aes grave). The word for money, pecunia (=Money) comes from pecus (=livestock) and in the word Capital (caput = head) is the root of the Herd as measurement of wealth. It was only in 217 BC that Consul Flaminius introduced the Silver Dinar, similar to the Greek Drachma. Even the depiction of the goddess Athene was used as the City Godess for Roma. Rome received in 146 BC, after their triumph over Karthago, gold as restoration payment. Soon it would develop to a leading world trade power.
Caesar borrowed 4 Million Sestertien – Equivalent to 1 Million German Mark (today about 500.000 Euro) for his election campaign. In Rome a person could come to power through money, and to money through power. It was Kaiser Augustus who rearranged the money system. Gold and silver coins were issued by the Kaiser, but “Moneten” by the Senate.
The front of the coins shows mostly the head of the Kaiser, while the reverse was mostly for propaganda (campaigns, victories, building). The 7-9g heavy Aureus (gold) was 25 Dinars (silver) or 100 Sestertien (brass) worth. The Sesters was divided in 2 Dupondien or 4 Asse. An artisan would earn about 310 Dinar per year, a Legionnaire about 225, a worker about 120 and this was just enough to cover a very meagre existence. Famous Doctors or Authors took up to 25.000 Dinars a year. A pig costed 60 Dinars, a cow 200 and a slave 200-1.000. The yearly tax for a Roman was only 2 Dinars, the equivalent to one pair of boot soles.
During the Roman history there has been several money devaluations. In the third century, a Dinar contained only 4% silver. Kaiser Diokletain announced a coin reform. As replacement for the devalued Aureus, Constantine the Great introduced the Solidus as a "dignified" gold coin. The Roman coins were used throughout the then known world. The Germane used the gold coins mostly as jewellery, and not as a mean of payment.
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