Aureus

The aureus (pl. aurei — "golden") was a gold coin of ancient Rome valued at 25 silver denarii. The aureus was regularly issued from the 1st century BC to the beginning of the 4th century AD, when it was replaced by the solidus. The aureus was about the same size as the denarius, but heavier due to the higher density of gold (as opposed to that of silver.)

Before the time of Julius Caesar the aureus was struck very infrequently, usually to make large payments from captured booty. Caesar struck the coin more frequently and standardized the weight at of a Roman pound (about 8 grams). Augustus (r. 29 BC – 9 AD) tariffed the value of the sestertius as of an aureus. The mass of the aureus was decreased to of a pound (7.3 g) during the reign of Nero (r. 54–68).

After the reign of Marcus Aurelius (r. 161–180) the production of aurei decreased, and the weight was further decreased to of a pound (6.5 g) by the time of Caracalla (r. 211–217). During the 3rd century, gold pieces were introduced in a variety of fractions and multiples, making it hard to determine the intended denomination of a gold coin.

Aureus (disambiguation)

Aureus, golden in Latin, may refer to :

See also