I finally got to hold a Roman coin that was 1,800 years old

There's a guy at the local rock and mineral show here in Phoenix who brings his personal collection every year. Last month I stopped by his table and he let me handle a denarius from 180 AD. He pointed out the emperor's name worn down on one side and said "this was probably dropped by a soldier or merchant." Just holding something that someone used that long ago really stuck with me. Anyone else ever get to touch something that old at a show or museum?

4 comments

4 Comments

wright.leo10d ago

Read somewhere that those denarii were basically the standard paycheck for a Roman soldier for a day. Pretty wild to think some guy 18 centuries ago might have used that exact coin to buy bread or whatever. Makes you wonder where its been all that time.

smith.elliot10d ago

Yeah but soldiers back then were paid irregularly and often got salt or goods instead of coins.

gracethomas10d ago

Right, because nothing says "career soldier in the Roman Empire" like being handed a bag of salt instead of your copper coins. I guess that means I was holding the ancient equivalent of a crum-up pay stub, which is somehow even less impressive than a coin. At least the bread it bought is still a mystery, assuming the soldier didn't just use it to tip a toga-wearing waiter.

abby_morgan1810d ago

The denarius was actually worth more like a day's pay for a skilled laborer or a soldier, but you're right that it was standard currency for everyday stuff. Most Roman soldiers got paid three times a year, not daily, and a denarius could buy a few loaves of bread or some wine. That coin might have passed through dozens of hands just in one market, which makes it even cooler to think about where it ended up. Did the guy tell you which emperor was on it?