ObverseImage: Wikimedia Commons · Panairjdde · CC BY-SA 3.0
Roman Aureus
Italy
-49–275
Reference data compiled from public catalogs
Estimated Melt Value
$1,013.06
Based on Gold spot price ($4,795.98/oz) · 90.0% purity · 7.3g
Updated 6:41 PM
Collector premium not included
Specifications
| Country | Italy |
| Years Minted | -49–275 |
| Composition | Gold |
| Weight | 7.3 g |
| Diameter | 19 mm |
| Shape | Round |
| Edge | Plain |
History & Notable Facts
The Roman Aureus, introduced by Julius Caesar in 49 BC, was the first gold coin to standardize Roman currency, weighing around 7.5 to 8 grams and valued at 25 denarii.
This made it a practical tool for paying legions, which kept the empire expanding. Emperors from Augustus to Aurelian stamped their portraits on it, turning propaganda into pocket change. Designs varied by ruler and mint, often featuring gods or victories, though exact dies and production methods remain murky due to lost records.
We know it circulated widely across the Mediterranean, but counterfeits were common even then. That's numismatics for you: one emperor's fortune is another's forgery.
Mintage figures are unreliable; fires and invasions saw to that. By 275 AD, inflation devalued it, leading to its replacement.
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