Caesar Wants His Change Trivia Quiz

Answer: Aureus

The aureus was a gold coin issued from the 1st Century BC to the 4th Century AD. Initially the aureus was seldom issued because gold coinage was seen as not properly Roman but it became a more common issue during the rule of Julius Caesar. The aureus was initially set as equal to 25 denarii. Aurei (the plural of aureus) were issued in almost-pure gold.

The aureus was originally a coin weighing slightly over 8 grams but the weight of the coin decreased over the years.

Answer: Denarius

The denarius was issued from the 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD. It was very much a workhorse coin of the Roman Republic and Roman Empire. Originally minted in almost pure silver, denarii (the plural of denarius) were minted with less and less silver content over the years.

When Gaius Marius began paying the army in the late 2nd Century BC, the salary of a ordinary legionary was set at 225 denarii a year. In the 1st Century BC 25 denarii were equal to 1 aureus. One denarius was equal to four sesterii or 10 asses (a bronze coin).

Answer: Quinarius Argentus

The quinarius argentus or quinarius was a small silver coin initially equal in value to half a denarius. The coin was minted sporadically from the 3rd Century BC to the 3rd Century AD. One of the areas were the coin saw heavy circulation for a while was Gaul (roughly modern France and the Low Countries).

Answer: Sestertius

The sestertius was roughly equal to one-quarter of a denarius. When issued during the Roman Republic (infrequently) it was a small silver coin. When issued during the Roman Empire it was a large brass (alloy of copper and zinc) coin. The silver sesterius weighed only about one gram while the brass sestertius usually weighed in the range of 25-28 grams.

The last sestertii (plural of sestertius) were minted in the 3rd Century AD. During the period of the Roman Republic, a loaf of bread cost about half of a sestertius.

Answer: Dupondius

The dupondius was a bronze coin that was twice the value of an as. It was minted during the later Roman Republic and the early Roman Empire. During the reign of Augustus (29 BC to AD 14) the dupondius was minted in a a bronze (copper and tin) alloy while the as was minted in a more reddish-colored bronze.

Answer: As

The as was a bronze coin. Ten asses (the plural of as) were equal in value to one denarius. Minted until the 3rd Century AD, the as was the lowest value coin issued regularly during the Roman Empire. It is believed that when Jesus asks "Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground outside your Father's care." (Matthew 10:29), the reference is to an as.

Answer: Semis

The semis is a bronze coin that was worth half of an as. It was minted from the 3rd Century BC to the 2nd Century AD. The design of the semis often featured a letter "S" to indicate the denomination.

Answer: Triens

The triens was a bronze coin that was occasionally minted during the Roman Republic and was last minted in 89 BC. It was equal in value to one-third of an as. The most common design of the triens featured Minerva (the Roman equivalent to Athena) on the obverse and the prow of a galley on the reverse.

Answer: Quadrans

The quadrans was a bronze coin worth one-quarter of an as. It was minted during the period of the Roman Republic and during the Roman Empire until the 2nd Century AD. It is thought that in Mark's Gospel when a poor widow is described as giving two mites to the Temple treasury, this is a reference to the quadrans.

Answer: Uncia

The uncia is a bronze coin that is worth one-twelfth of an as. The uncia was minted from the 3rd Century BC to the 2nd Century AD. By the time of the Emperors Trajan and Hadrian (2nd Century AD), the uncia was about 11-14 millimeters in diameter and weighed about 1 gram.