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Measures of Money

After the reign of Augustus, when the Denarius was about 1/8th of an ounce

DENOMINATION
OF COIN
Sextula
Quadrans
Triens
Semissis
AS
Dupondius
SESTERTIUS
Quinarius
Denarius
AUREUS
Sextula 1 - - - - - - - - -
Quadrans - 1 - - - - - - - -
Triens 2 - 1 - - - - - - -
Semissis 3 2 - 1 - - - - - -
AS 6 4 3 2 1 - - - - -
Dupondius 12 8 6 4 2 1 - - - -
SESTERTIUS 24 16 12 8 4 2 1 - - -
Quinarius 48 32 24 16 8 4 2 1 - -
Denarius 96 64 48 32 16 8 4 2 1 -
AUREUS 2400 1600 1200 800 400 200 100 50 25 1
NB SESTERTIUM or Mille Nummi was money of account, not a coin. The Romans did not have banknotes in circulation.

A note on the comparative value of Roman coin

Although it is extraordinarily difficult to equate Roman with modern values, I personally find it difficult to read Tacitus, for example, without having some rough idea in my own mind of the values of the sums mentioned in the text. Our social structure and economy today cannot be compared with that of the classical world; we also came off the gold standard many years ago. The income differences between a Roman soldier and a small-scale Roman merchant can be compared to the difference now between the income of a child in a Brazilian favela and that of a western factory worker.

Nevertheless, for my own reference I have taken the rough curent bullion value of the gold Aureus, at about 7.75 grams in weight, at around GBP50. This allows me to think of a Sestertius as about 50p. This gives, in UK sterling values, the following indicative comparative values;
 
 

Roman 
GBP
Comment
Wine, per modern bottle
25p - 75p
 Comparable to current price without duty
Lawyer's fee
2,500
 Not much change here then!
Roman townhouse
250k - 1.25m
 Comparable to London today
Land per acre
800 - 10,000
 Within current limits
Slave
300 - 4,000
 About the price of a second hand car
Oil per pint
50p
Willed by Augustus to each ordinary soldier
150
 Elite soldiers got more
Soldier's pay per week after deductions
3.50
 He could buy a bottle or two of wine or....
Prostitute
2.00
A man was "rich" if he owned property worth
more than
200,000
 OK, so subtract the balance owing on your 
mortgage and what are you worth?
To be a Senator he had to own at least
500,000
 Not much change here then!

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Last modified 4.VI.01 by Mike Neill