Aureus
The
aureus 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 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. Augustus tariffed the value of the
sestertius as of an
aureus. The mass of the
aureus was decreased to of a pound during the reign of Nero.
Aureus of Octavian, c. 30 BC. After the reign of Marcus Aurelius the production of
aurei decreased, and the weight was further decreased to of a pound by the time of Caracalla. 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.