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The first coin used by the Romans was the aes grave (or aes librale), commonly named as. The coin was in bronze, with a value related to the Roman units of measurement, having an initial weight equal to a Latin pound (273 g), then becoming a Roman pound (327 g).
Initially the as was produced as cast coinage, then transformed in hammered coinage. The first series of the as was the Janus-Mercury series, whose name derives from the images of the two divinities reported on the coin, in addition to the mark "I" as the value of the coin.
In the republican age, the prow series in bronze was introduced (around 225 B.C., in concomitance with the introduction of the quadrigatus). This series is so called because of the bow of a ship displayed on the reverse.
The last series of the "aes grave" was the one of the "wheel", from the six spoked wheel that appears on the reverse.
Besides the as, a certain number of fractions were produced organized in a duodecimal system linked to the Roman weight system; in the following table the fractions of the as are shown, with their representations to the front and the mark used to display the value related to the as and the uncia:
| Coin | Ratio with the as | Ratio with the ounce | Picture | Mark |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| As | 1 as | 12 ounces | Janus | I |
| Semis | 1/2 as | 6 ounces | Saturn | S |
| Triens | 1/3 as | 4 ounces | Minerva | four pellets |
| Quadrans | 1/4 as | 3 ounces | Hercules | three pellets |
| Sextans | 1/6 as | 2 ounces | Mercury | two pellets |
| Uncia | 1/12 as | 1 ounce | Roma | one pellet |
The semis (pl. semisses, that literally means the half) was worth the half of an as. During the Roman Republic, the semis was marked by one 'S' or by 6 pellets (showing a theoretical weight of the 6 unciae). The coin was characterized by the image of the god Saturn on the front and by the prow of a ship on the reverse. Initially it was a cast coin as all the other Republican Roman bronzes; it began to be struck with hammer just before the Second Punic War (218-204 B.C.). The coin has rarely been issued during the Roman empire and it has stopped being issued at the time of Hadrian (117-138 AD). In the Byzantine coinage, the term was referred to the coin that was worth one half of the solidus.
The triens (pl. trientes) was worth one third of the as, so 4 ounces. The most common type of triens was Minerva and four globules on the front and the prow of a galley to the reverse. It was not a common denomination and the last time it has been minted was in 89 B.C.. A cast triens also exists, with the Lightning on the front and a dolphin on the reverse.
The quadrans (literally "a quarter") was a Roman coin in bronze that was worth 1/4 of an as. The quadrans was already present in the initial phase of the issue of the bronze coins it melted during the Roman Republic and it was characterized by three pellets (representatives of three ounces) as indication of value. To the right, after a first phase, the head of Ercole was represented, while to the reverse, as in the other bronze coins, he/she introduced the bow of a helmet. After ca. the 90 a.C., when the bronze coinage was reduced to the standard semunciale, the quadrant became the coin of value lower than you/he/she was sent forth. You/he/she was sporadically sent forth up to the time of Antonino Pio (138-161 To). Á. difference of the other coins of greater value, the quadrant rarely introduced the image of the emperor.
The sextant (in Latin sextans) an order of the as was worth, that is 2 ounces. The most common type for the sextant had to the astute Mercury and two globules, that point out note the two ounces, and to the reverse the bow of a jail. The sextant was diffused in the coinage of a lot of cities of central Italy. In the period of the melted coinage the types show a great variety of symbol: a shell, a caduceus or other anchor. For instance Ariminum (modern Rimini), it identifies for the sextant with a trident, Iguvium (Gubbio), a cornucopia, Tuder (Todi), a trident and a cricket.
The ounce (in Latin uncia, plural unciae) it had a value of a twelfth of as and a theoretical weight of around 27 grams. In the Roman coinage to the astute one the types were: a bone (ca. 289-245 a.Cs.), a grain of wheat (ca. 280-245 a.Cs.), the head elmata in Rome intended as divinity (from ca. 240 a.Cs.). The sign indicante its value was a small sphere. In the empire Romano the ounce was put again for a brief period in use from Traiano (98-117) and Adriano (117-138). You coin had a diameter of 11-14 mms and weighed ca. 0,8-1,2 grams. He/she introduced the head of the emperor to the astute anepigrafe (without registration) and "SC" (Senatus Consulto) in a crown to the reverse.
Other coins coined in Rome and tied up to the system of the as they were:
As it regards the multiples of the as, the values existed brought in the following chart:
| Coin | Ratio with the as | Ratio with the denarius |
|---|---|---|
| As | 1 | |
| Dupondio | 2 | |
| Sesterzio | 2,5 | 1/4 |
| Tresse o Tripondio | 3 | |
| Quadrusse | 4 | |
| Quinquesse o Quinario | 5 | 1/2 |
| Decusse o Denarius | 10 |
The dupondio (in Latin dupondius that is two pounds) it had a value of 2 aces (1/2 sesterzios or 1/8 of denarius). you/he/she was introduced during the Roman Republic under form a fused coin of great dimensions, even if during his/her issue in reality it weighed less than two pounds. The coin introduced the head in Rome to the astute one and a wheel to six rays to the reverse. The coin was not more issued during the Republic. With the monetary reform of August in the 23 a.C., the sesterzio and the dupondio were produced in a bronze league color gold denominated oricalco, while the smaller denominations were produced in reddish copper. The dupondio was distinguished besides by the as, that had a similar measure with the addition of a crown removed AD on the head of the emperor beginning from 66 under Nerone. The use of a crown removed for pointing out a double value was used subsequently also in the antoniniano (double denarius) and in the double sesterzio. The dupondio was produced up to the end of the III century.
The tripondio, with a value of 3 aces, you/he/she was countersigned by the sign of the value III (three).
The decusse, with a value of 10 aces, countersigned by the sign of the value X (ten) and belonging to the reduction semilibrale of the as. they are known little samples; the only one surely authentic it is that preserved in the Museum National Romano, of 1107 gs. the coin with a value equal to 10 aces was coined more commonly, in silver as denarius.
The value of the as progressively reduced him in the time, acquiring as the value of its fractions; the principal phases of the as were:
With the progressive reduction of the weight of the as, the coin was not melted anymore, but wisecrack. Already in the period of the standard seed-librale, this happened for the smallest denominations as the ounce and the semiuncia. The use of the bronze for the mintage of the coins has term in the 79 a.C..
After the monetary reform of August in the 23 a.C., the weight of the as was subsequently reduced in comparison to the value of the republican as (1/30 of it hovers, equal to 10,91 gs.) and you/he/she was beaten on pure red copper rather than on bronze (10,90 gs).
Gives the responsibility of the senate on the coinage in copper, the coins introduced on the back it initials her/it "SC", that points out Senatus Consulto. As it regards the multiples of the as, the sesterzio (4 aces the value of the denarius became of sixteen aces) and the dupondio (2 aces) you/they were produced in oricalco.
The as continued to be produced AD up to the III century it was the coin of lower value produced with regularity during the empire Romano while the semisse and the quadrant were produced less frequently and produced to depart some principality of Mark Aurelio not anymore.
Beginning from the III century d. C., the name given to the Roman coin in bronze (and to the as particularly) in the oriental provinces of Greek language assarion (plural assaria).
Date however the diffcoltà of retrieval of information on the coins of the epoch and the existing differences among the provinces of the empire, has spread a methodology of classification of the coins in bronze of the last empire on four levels, according to the staircase brought in chart:
| Coin | Diameter | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Æ1 | 28mm | 8-9g |
| Æ2 | 22-25mm | 4-5g |
| Æ3 | 15-18mm | 1,5-2,5g |
| Æ4 | 8-12mm | 1,15g |
where the symbol "Æ" means aes. Subsequently, this system has been wide in the form Æxx, where the value xx points out the diameter in millimeters of the coin.