Denarius

The Roman currency system included as the largest coin in common circulation the denarius, a silver coin.

It is difficult to give even comparative values for money from before the 20th century. Classical historians regularly say that in the late Roman Republic and early Roman Empire the daily wage for a laborer was one denarius.

The fineness of the silver content varied with political and economic circumstances. Later devaluations may be understood by realizing that the Roman denarius gives the 'd' used in the abbreviation for the British 'penny'. The denarius also survives in the common Arabic name for a currency unit, the dinar?, still used in several modern Arabic-speaking nations.

The higher Roman currency, the gold aureus, seems to have been a "currency of account," a denomination not commonly seen outside banks and treasuries (like the modern U.S. $100,000 bill). Numismatists think that the aureus was used to pay bonuses to the legions at the accession of new emperors.

see drachma