(Pater

the hand, with the legend PP. TR. POT. Cos. III. S.C. Patriae, Tribunicia Potestas, Consul Tertium, Senatus Consulto.)

2. Of those pieces commonly called Imperial Middle Brass, which resemble the large brass, except in so far that they are only half

the size. We annex a cut taken from one of the earliest of the series, exhibiting on the obverse the head of Augustus, with the legend CAESAR AUGUSTUS TRIBUNIC. POTEST., and on the reverse the name of one of the Triumviri Monetales (p. 95), C. GALLIUS LUPERCUS IIIVIR A. A. A. F. F. and S. C. in the field.

Silver Coinage. According to Pliny, silver was first coined at Rome in B.C. 269, five years before the commencement of the first Punic War, in pieces of three denominations.

1. The Denarius, equivalent to 10 Asses.

2. The Quinarius,

3. The Sestertius,

But when the weight of the As was reduced in B.C. 217 to one ounce, it was ordained at the same time that

The Denarius should be held equivalent to 16 Asses.

The Quinarius

The Sestertius

and this relation subsisted ever after between the silver coins bearing the above names and the As.

The Denarius and the Quinarius continued to be the ordinary

silver currency down to the age of Septimius Severus and his sons.

The silver Sestertius does not appear to have been coined under the Empire.

The devices originally stamped upon all three denominations were, on the obverse a female head helmeted and winged, with the legend ROMA; on the reverse the Dioscuri on horseback. The Denarius, Quinarius, and Sestertius were severally distinguished by the numerals X, V, and IIS.

In Denarii of a somewhat later date, instead of the Dioscuri, we generally find a

figure of Jupiter, or some other deity, in a chariot drawn by four or by two horses, and hence such pieces were known as Quadrigati and Bigati. We annex a cut of a Bigatus, in which Victory is the

charioteer. At an early period also it was not uncommon to notch the edge of the coin, in order, probably, to render forgery more difficult, and hence such pieces were known as Serrati.

Quinarii bore originally, as we have seen, the same device as Denarii; but it soon became the practice to stamp upon the reverse of all Quinarii a figure of the goddess Victoria, who appears sometimes standing, sometimes flying, sometimes in a chariot, sometimes crowning a trophy, and hence the term Victoriatus is frequently employed as synonymous with Quinarius. On the obverse of both Denarii and Quinarii, the helmeted head gradually disappeared, and was replaced by various other heads. The magistrate intrusted with the task of coining marked upon the pieces his own name or that of an illustrious member of the family to which he belonged, with some legendary device connected with the house. Thus on the

ROMA

Serratus figured above, we see Ulysses, recognized by his dog, the name on the coin being C. MAMILIUS LIMETANUS. But the Mamilii

came from Tusculum, and Tusculum was said to have been founded by Telegonus, son of Ulysses (Telegoni iuga parricidae). The Denarius annexed bears the name of T. CARISIUS, on the obverse is a head of the goddess Moneta, on the reverse the tools of the coiner.

The silver coinage of the Empire consisted of Denarii and QuiThe first of the two specimens annexed exhibits on the

narii.

obverse a veiled head of Julius Cæsar, with the Lituus and the Apex, the legend being PARENS PATRIAE CAESAR, and on the reverse the name of one of the commissioners of the mint under Augustus, C. COSSUTIUS MARIDIANUS, with the letters A. A. A. F. F. The second has on the obverse, the head of Otho, with the legend IMP. OTHO CAESAR AUG. TR. P., and on the reverse a figure of Securitas, with the legend SECURITAS P.R.

Gold Coinage.—The number of gold coins, undoubtedly Roman, belonging to the Republican period, was very small until the age of Julius Caesar, the want having been supplied by Greek Philippi. The principal gold coin of the Empire was the Denarius Aureus, which is generally termed simply Aureus, but by Pliny uniformly

Denarius. The Denarius Aureus always passed for twenty-five silver Denarii. Half Aurei were also minted. An Aureus, with the head of Augustus, will be found in p. 168, and we annex a representation of another of the same period; on the obverse, the head of Ammon, and on the reverse a man arrayed as an Augur, and crowned by Iuno Sospita, who follows behind, the legend being Q. CORNUFICI AUGUR. IMP.

VI. COMPUTATION OF MONEY.

Sums of money were computed either

1. By Asses; or, 2. By Sestertii.

1. In expressing all sums from one As or one Sestertius up to a thousand Asses or Sestertii, the cardinal or distributive numerals employed agree in case with As or Sestertius. Thus we say, Decem Asses-Viginti Sestertii-Quinquagenis Sestertiis-Mille Sestertii,

&c.

2. All sums from one thousand up to one hundred thousand inclusive, are expressed by the cardinal or distributive numerals, followed by As or Sestertius in the genitive plural. Thus we say, Duo millia . . . Decem millia . . . Centum s. Centena millia Assium vel Sestertiorum. As to the numeral Mille, we may say with equal propriety, Mille Asses v. Sestertii, or Mille Assium v. Sestertiorum.

3. All sums above one hundred thousand are expressed by prefixing a numeral adverb to Centena millia, the word Assium or Sestertiorum following in the genitive. Thus we say, Bis centena millia

Quater centena millia .. Decies centena millia Assium v. Sestertiorum, to denote 200,000; 400,000; 1,000,000, &c.

But in the great majority of cases the words Centena millia are omitted, and the numeral adverb is placed alone, it being the rule that a numeral adverb is never employed in expressing sums of money, except when the words Centena millia are either expressed or understood. Thus we say, Decies. . . Centies . . . Millies Bis millies .. Tricies quinquies Centies millies Quadringenties millies Quater decies millies Sestertiorum, &c., to denote 1,000,000; 10,000,000; 100,000,000; 200,000,000; 3,500,000; 10,000,000,000; 40,000,000,000; 4,000,000,000, &c.

...

This being premised, we proceed to explain some details with regard to the computation by Asses and by Sestertii, considered separately.

1. Computation by Asses.-The As being a copper coin, the word Aes is used in computing sums of money as equivalent to As. e. g., Ex eis, qui centum millium aeris, aut maiorem censum haberent (Liv. i., 43.) After the As, regarded as a coin, underwent successive diminutions in weight, it became necessary to distinguish between the original weight of the coin and the coin actually current, and hence the expression aes grave designates a certain number of Asses or full pounds of metal and not the coin called As of inferior weight. Hence we read-M. Postumius. decem millibus aeris gravis damnatur.

2. Computation by Sestertii.—The word Sestertius, contracted for Semistertius, is properly an adjective signifying two and a-half, the substantive understood being Nummus, and Nummus is frequently