I 70 ROMAN WEIGHTS FOUND AT MELANDRA. 



As libralis, mark of value I 12 uiiciic. 



^, Semis, ,, S 6 ,, 



^, Trie US, „ .... 4 )> 



i, Qitadrans, „ , , . 3 " 



1^, Sextans, „ , , 2 ,, 



Jj, Uncia, „ , i » 



The silver coinage was based upon the dcnanus introduced 

 in B.C. 269, weighing one scxtula (70 grains) or four scripula, 

 which was then worth 10 bronze asses, the weight of the as 

 having fallen to 4 uncicc {incntal). The denarius was sub- 

 divided into its half, the qiiinarius, and fourth part, the 

 sestertius; and later the victor iatus, equal to two-thirds of the 

 denarius, was introduced. 



The earliest gold coins, dating from about B.C. 217, were 

 the scrupular aurci, weighing i, 2, and 3 scripula, valued at 

 20, 40, and 60 sestertii; subsequently, B.C. 207, a gold aureus 

 of one-fortieth libra (]26 grains), valued at 25 silver denarii, 

 or 100 silver sestertii, or 250 bronze asses (sexiantal), was 

 employed. 



In the time of Augustus, B.C. 15, the sestertius of yellow brass 

 {orichaleum), worth double its weight of ordinary red bronze,* 

 and weighing about one uneia, first came into use, and was 

 reckoned equal to a quarter denarius, or four bronze asses, the 

 weight of the as having fallen to half an uncia {semuncial). 



The principal coins of the early Empire were: (i) the gold 

 aureus, one-forty-second of the libra (120 grains); (2) the silver 

 denarius, one-eighty-fourth of the libra (60 grains) ; the brass 

 sestertius, i uncia; the aureus being reckoned at 25 denarii, 

 100 sestertii, or 400 asses. 



A larger and smaller silver coin, the argenteus, one-sixty- 

 fourth of the libra, and the denarius niinulus, one-ninety-sixth 

 of the libra, were added by Caracalla in a.d. 215. 



After Severus Alexander, a.d. 222, " begins a period of hope- 

 less confusion, such that the scales must have been necessary 



* Hill's Handbook oj Greek and Roman Coins, p. 50. 



