{"id":2771,"date":"2023-03-17T14:02:56","date_gmt":"2023-03-17T13:02:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/?p=2771"},"modified":"2023-03-17T14:02:56","modified_gmt":"2023-03-17T13:02:56","slug":"a-system-of-money-in-ancient-rome","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.learnancientrome.com\/a-system-of-money-in-ancient-rome\/","title":{"rendered":"A system of money in ancient rome?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Having a system of money in ancient Rome was extremely important because it allowed people to buy and sell goods and services easily. It also allowed people to save money for future purchases.<\/p>\n

The ancient Roman system of money was based on the denarius, a silver coin that was first minted in 211 BCE. The denarius was divided into 12 unciae, or “twelfths.” One uncia was equivalent to 1.2 grams of silver, and 12 unciae made up one denarius. The word “sestertius” comes from the Latin word for “two,” as in “two thirds of a denarius.” The sestertius was thus worth two thirds of a denarius, or 8 unciae. The smallest unit of Roman currency was the semuncia, which was worth one twelfth of a sestertius, or 0.8 grams of silver.<\/p>\n

What was ancient money called? <\/h2>\n

The drachma is one of the oldest coins in the world. Its name derives from the Greek word for “to grasp,” and its original value was equivalent to that of a handful of arrows. The early drachma had different weights in different regions.<\/p>\n

The Roman economy was based on a bartering system in which goods and services were exchanged for other goods and services. Pecunia, the Latin word for money, was a derivative of pecus (the word for cattle), revealing how livestock was at the centre of the economic system before the advent of coinage. This system allowed for a certain amount of economic stability, as people were able to trade goods and services that they had in surplus for goods and services that they needed. However, it was not a very efficient system, as it was often difficult to find someone who had what you needed and who was willing to trade for what you had.<\/p>\n

What did Romans use before coins <\/h3>\n