Quadrans
The quadrans was a Roman coin, a quarter of an ace , which had been the smallest denomination in the Roman monetary system since the late Republic. In the 18th century (between 1742 and 1747) a small silver coin was minted for Tyrol, which was also known as the "Quadrans".
In the early Republican times, at the time of the aes-grave currency, the coin was marked with three dots. The markings were later dropped and the coins were struck on copper / bronze. The coinage under Emperor Nero , who had his Quadrans struck on brass, is an exception . The average weight of the quadran was 2.8 g.
As is customary with Roman bronzes, the reverse of the coins was marked with “S C” for Senatus Consulto , which translated means something like By resolution of the Senate . This designation is likely to have been more of a gesture, because de facto the sovereignty of coinage rested solely with the emperor.
The quadrans - like the semis - were not particularly common from the beginning and disappeared completely from the scene in the middle of the 2nd century. In the retail trade, people made do with quartered aces or foreign small bronzes or municipal brands.
Values (Imperial Era):
- Aureus (gold) = 25 denarii (silver)
- Denarius = 4 sesterces (brass)
- Sesterce = 2 Dupondius (brass)
- Dupondius = 2 aces (copper / bronze)
- As = 2 semisses (brass)
- Semis = 2 Quadrans (copper / bronze)
Web links
Individual evidence
- ^ Gerhard Schön, German coin catalog 18th century, to: Tirol No. 37