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Best types of Ancient Roman Coins for collecting
The main Roman currency consisted of coins including: the aureus (gold), the denarius (silver), the sestertius (bronze), the dupondius (bronze), and the as (copper). These denominations circulated during most of the Roman Republic and the western half of the Roman Empire in the middle of the 2nd century BC until the middle of the 3rd century AD, a remarkably long time.
The regular mintage of the aureus, the main gold coin began during the time of the Imperators, who required huge sums to fight their enormous wars. The aureus had a fixed value of 25 denarii.
The denarius was the silver coin that became the backbone of Roman economy. During the 3rd century AD, the denarius was replaced by the double denarius. After the reforms Roman coinage consisted mainly of the gold solidus and small bronze denominations. This trend continued to the end of the Empire in the West. The first images to appear on coins during the Republic were rather limited in diversity. Imagery on earliest denarii usually consisted of the bust of Roma on the obverse, and a deity driving a biga or quadriga on the reverse.
Roman coins are deemed best for collecting because of their intrinsic value. While they contained precious metals, it is important to note that the value of a coin was higher than its precious metal content. Clearly, not all coins that circulated contained precious metals, as the value of these coins was too great to be convenient for everyday purchases. Estimates of the value of the denarius range from 1.6 to 2.85 times its metal content, although the exact value is not known and probably fluctuated considerably over time and by location.
Roman coins are also peculiar because of the roles it played in Roman society: its ability to convey a meaning or relate an idea via their imagery and inscriptions, and its economic role within the Roman mercantilism.
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