In the Roman currency system, the denarius (/dɪˈnɛərɪəs/ di-NAIR-i-əs; plural: denarii /dɪˈnɛərɪaɪ/ di-NAIR-i-eye) was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus. The word denarius is derived from the Latin dēnī "containing ten", as its value was 10 asses; it may also be the origin of the word dinar (see that page for further dis...
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In the Roman currency system, the denarius (/dɪˈnɛərɪəs/ di-NAIR-i-əs; plural: denarii /dɪˈnɛərɪaɪ/ di-NAIR-i-eye) was a small silver coin first minted in 211 BC. It was the most common coin produced for circulation but was slowly debased until its replacement by the antoninianus. The word denarius is derived from the Latin dēnī "containing ten", as its value was 10 asses; it may also be the origin of the word dinar (see that page for further discussion).
An early form of the denarius was first struck five years before the first Punic War, in 269 BC with a weight of 6.8 grams on average at the time or ⁄48 of a Roman pound. Contact with the Greeks prompted a need for silver coinage in addition to the bronze asses the Romans were using at that time. This was a Greek-style silver coin, very similar to didrachm and drachma struck in Metapontion and other Greek cities in Southern Italy. These coins were inscribed for Rome, but closely resemble their Greek counterparts. They were most...
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