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 Replies: 11 / Views: 2,281 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
2759 Posts |
Hi again. I bought my nephew a couple of the Gallienus zoo coins in the past year and he asked a question about them that I couldn't answer. I was hoping someone here could answer.
"what could you have bought with one of the coins?"
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
I'm not sure if this answers your question: Quote:
The table laid out below, compares the relative values of the early denominations. Beneath that is a list of prices that are documented in the historical sources.
Values
aureus denarius sestertius dupondius as semis quadrans
aureus 1 25 100 200 400 800 1600
denarius - 1 4 8 16 32 64
sestertius - - 1 2 4 8 16
dupondius - - - 1 2 4 8
as - - - - 1 2 4
semis - - - - - 1 2
quadrans - - - - - - 1
What could you get for your money?
Value of the historian Pliny's estate:5,000,000 denarii
Membership of the Senatorial class: 250,000 denarii
Membership of the Equestrian class: 100,000 denarii
Cost of staging 3 - 4 days public games: 25 50,000 denarii
Cost of a slave boy: 600 denarii
Annual pay of Roman legionary: 300 denarii
Overcoat: 13 denarii
Cloak: 5 denarii and 2 asses
Daily pay of labourer: up to 1 denarius
Loaf of bread: 2 asses
Half litre of wine: 1 as
Wax and stylus for writing: 1 semis |
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
2759 Posts |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4253 Posts |
It's my understanding that the Antoninianus or Double Denarius was suppose to be worth , well, double that of the Denarius. But the continued debasement of Roman coinage just meant that the cost of goods continuously increased, much like inflation today. Or more accurately, when a government (say the U.S.) prints more money to cover the costs of it's debts, that money can actually have less buying power. Thus it was in Rome. I have been unable to find a chart to say what the items in the above chart cost under Gallienus, but it is safe to assume everything cost more. Perhaps someone else can find a cost comparison for that period of time.
Regards,
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Gradual debasement of the Roman coinage can be traced over 300 years from the start of the Empire under Augustus.
A visual survey of the debasement can be made just by displaying a coin from the Empire with a time interval of about every 20 years or so, in a line, which can be punctuated with each major coin development, such as the dissapearance of the quadrans, the as, the denarius, or the reduction in size of the sestertius before it dissapeared.
The same fate happened to the antoninianus after it's introduction.
I have seen noted by scholars of Roman coinage that the average rate of inflation in the early Empire was around 2%, by the time of the introduction of the antoninianus, was around 4%, and later on, got out of control to over 8%, when the Legions were no longer able the defend the borders of the Empire.
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
That's actually pretty interesting ...
So, if an antoninianus is worth twice that of a denarius ... and a denarius is basically worth a typical days wages for a labourer (so lets say 8 hours x $15/hour in today's wages x 2 for an antoninianus = approx $240)
=> so in today's worth => it's probably pretty close to 200 or 300 hundred bucks!! (that's a nice coin) ...
2 days wages for a labourer => so that coin could probably buy you the labour to build a nice fence, or dig a fairly substantial ditch .... interesting, eh?
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Pillar of the Community
614 Posts |
So two "asses" could get you two loves of bread?  Sorry, could'nt help it.  |
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Bedrock of the Community
Australia
21788 Posts |
Actually, the pronunciation in the Australian accent is bit different, and not quite so hillarious.
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Pillar of the Community
614 Posts |
True, I believe. But if a different American saw it their reaction would be worse than mine. ;)
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4981 Posts |
i giggled a bit at the "asses".... thanks for the table, I had been curious about what I could actually purchase with my coins back in the day. |
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Pillar of the Community
3352 Posts |
Hmmmm? ... so they used to get paid in asses, eh? => well, in my mind, not all asses are equal in value!! so I betcha any money, I would have been an assesser!!  Edited by stevex6
05/16/2012 10:42 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
4981 Posts |
so romans would literally bet their asses when they made wagers? LOL! sorry couldn't resist. |
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Replies: 11 / Views: 2,281 |
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Posted 05/16/2012 5:35 pm
