Aureus

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Collection of three Roman aurei depicting the emperors of the Flavian dynasty. From top to bottom: Vespasian , Titus and Domitian . AD 69–96

Aureus (plural aurei ) is usually a 8.19 g heavy Roman gold coin with a high fineness , which had a very high value at the time of issue and was spread over the entire Roman-influenced world. It was the main curant coin of the Roman Empire from around 27 BC. Until the beginning of the 4th century AD

Half pieces of the aureus ( Quinarius aureus ) are among the rarest Roman coins . As multiple aureus there was also the rare Binio (double), the Quaternio (fourfold) and the Octonio (eightfold), which are to be regarded as gift coins ( donative ).

In 1977 a quadruple aureus of Augustus (IMP XV) from the period 2 or 3 AD was stolen from the Museo Nazionale in Naples. This aureus was found in Pompeii in the 18th century and is of undoubted authenticity. It is the only known specimen worldwide (R 5). Its weight: 30.88 grams. The minting place is Lugdunum (Lyon).

Development of the coin unit

The aureus had existed since Sulla , around 82 BC. BC, as 1/30 of the Roman pound (approx. 327.5 g), i.e. about 10.92 g. Under Pompey , around 71 BC. BC, it weighed only about 9.1 g (1/36 lb) and under Julius Caesar it was expressed more often, with its weight already being about 8.19 g, i.e. H. dropped to 1/40 (to 1/42) pound. With this weight he was under Emperor Augustus in the aureus denarius as coin reform, after 27 BC. BC, ranked as the largest coin denomination; see below. The new currency was initially a gold-silver standard currency (bimetallism). Since the silver money for the gold aureus tended to become cheaper over the decades, the initial bimetallism turned into the pure aureus gold standard , i.e. H. the denarii - like the brass and bronze coins before - were slowly becoming divisive coins . The coin rack for aurei and denarii was with the emperor during the imperial era, and that for brass and bronze coins with the senate.

The aurei (also the denarii and even the divisional coins) were constantly reduced in their rough weight and fineness - initially still hidden - as part of the generally progressive deterioration of coins , starting with Nero , or "stretched" with copper as a supplement to the rough weight for the time being to keep. Under Gallienus his weight had already dropped to about 6.12 g. Silver was often added to the aurei instead of or together with copper, which sometimes makes the color of the coin appear darker. The cause of these currency crises were wars and uprisings inside and outside the empire and the associated high need for money for the military, which could not be met by regular tax revenue. Other reasons were the elaborate imperial court and the extensive Roman building work. In particular, the “privileged” provincial and military coins of all denominations show greater fluctuations, mostly downwards, in terms of rough and fine weight, which opened up a rich field of activity for the money changers and bankers of the time. There were usually no money exchanges after the appointment of a new emperor, so that Roman money usually circulated for many decades. An aureus (25 denarii) was roughly the monthly wage of a legionnaire under Emperor Augustus, so that his purchasing power at that time can be estimated at around € 500 - taking into account the standard of living at that time.

Emperor Constantine I replaced the aureus in 309 in the western half of the empire and 324 in the eastern half with the solidus as part of a coin reform . This had the new target weight of 1/72 of the Roman pound , i.e. approx. 4.5 g and was in circulation for over a millennium until the conquest of Constantinople (1453) . After the end of the Western Roman Empire, the rulers of the Germanic successor empires initially continued to mint solidi and about until the coin reform under Emperor Charlemagne, around 800, mainly 1/3 solidus ( tremissis ). The solidus was the late antique and medieval "key currency" for all of Europe and the Mediterranean region. See also Schilling , Sou .

In the 3rd century BC There were (today very rare) models of the later Roman aurei, the southern Italian half and simple gold staters of the Greek type of 3 (3.41 g) or 6 (6.82 g) scripula (scruples). Their classification in terms of value in the then dominant Roman bronze As-Uncia currency system or in the southern, Italian-Sicilian drachma-litra system is very difficult today. Furthermore, there were probably direct forerunners of the aureus, the 20, 40 and 60 As emergency gold coins of the so-called "eagle series", which were probably already minted in Rome. These were made around 211 BC. BC about the same time in small numbers - due to the lack of coin silver - minted parallel to the introduction of the denarius.

In general, it can be said that a “year-to-year” determination of all early Roman and Greek coin denominations and their mints is very difficult due to the lack of mostly only a few characters on the coins and therefore requires further research. Real aurei in good condition are rare today and therefore fetch very high collector prices.

In 1993 the world's largest Roman gold treasure was found in Trier Feldstrasse . It comprised 2650 aurei (18.5 kg) from the first and second centuries AD. The treasure is now on display in the Rheinisches Landesmuseum Trier .

Valences (imperial era)

From the coin reform under Diocletian , around 295 AD.

  • Aureus (gold) = 25 argentii (silver)
  • Argenteus = 8 Folles (initially billon , then silver-plated copper, finally copper / bronze)
  • Follis = 5 (counting) Antoninian (in the end only small copper coins)

The valuation of the Argenteus, the Follis, the Antoninians and the Siliqua in a nominal order for the aureus (solidus), especially according to Diocletian, is very difficult today, because due to inflationary processes from the 3rd century onwards, the rough and fine weights of the base small coins - despite some revaluating interim reforms - tending to fall steadily ... One could speak of parallel currencies here, where, especially when merchants buy large amounts of money, the exact price of different denominations was agreed beforehand and how the payment in gold, silver or bronze money should then be made in practice. In the uncertain, late Roman times, one can no longer speak of a state guarantee of exchange of a certain amount of credit or divorce money in value or curant money (aurei). During this time, the natural barter in retail also increased again strongly.

Such processes of financial decline were repeated in the Middle Ages until the late modern period, especially in times of war, and were then expressed in terms such as B. "Good, Light or Heavy penny / dime " from. See also tipper and luffing time .

The money changers at that time then set the bid rate for the aureus (solidus), the small coins presented to them, very precisely on the basis of weight and coin image as well as their profit expectations. Late Roman legal stipulations of the coin rates of different denominations in relation to one another therefore had only limited significance in practice. Likewise, imperial price and wage determinations were only enforceable to a very limited extent in terms of time and territory. In addition, late Roman copper coins were very popular even then ...

See also Solidus , Tremissis , Multipla , Siliqua .

See also

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Karl-Josef Gilles: The Roman gold coin treasure from the Feldstrasse in Trier . Trier 2013.

literature

  • Karl-Josef Gilles: The Roman gold coin treasure from the Feldstrasse in Trier . Trier 2013, ISBN 978-3-923319-82-4 ( Trier magazine - supplement 34 )
  • E. u. V. Clain-Stefanelli: The big book of the coins u. Medals , Battenberg Verlag Augsburg 1991, ISBN 3-89441-006-X
  • Bernd Sprenger: Das Geld der Deutschen , Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh, 3rd edition, p. 26ff "Dominance of the Roman currency", ISBN 3-506-78623-7

Web links

Commons : Aureus  - album with pictures, videos and audio files