Aureus

The Roman Aureus (plural aurei) was first introduced by Sulla circa 82 BC, and after a hiatus of around 40 years, was struck again on a regular basis from the early Imperatorial period until the reign of Constantine I who replaced the aureus with a new denomination, the Solidus. Originally tariffed at 25 denarii, the aureus weighed around 7.8 grams and was struck in almost pure gold. Like the denarius, the aureus saw various reductions in weight and fineness over the years. Even in Roman times, the aureus was a highly valued coin, reserved for large transactions and imperial largess. The aureus represents the wealth and power of the Roman empire and as such, some of the best die engravers were reserved to prepare the dies for the aureus. Today, Roman aureii are highly valued by collectors, for their rarity and for their artistic value.