THE QUINARIUS

ANCIENT ROME ISSUED coins for almost eight centuries. Among the bewildering variety of denominations that circulated during this long span of time, the quinarius stands out as one of the most obscure. Struck in both gold and silver, the type is so scarce that many experienced collectors have never even seen one. No book-length study of the quinarius appeared in English until 2007!

The origin of the silver quinarius is closely linked to Rome's urgent need to pay troops with high-quality silver money in the Second Punic War (218-201 BCE), which also gave rise to its big brother, the denarius, and its diminutive, short-lived companion, the silver sestertius.

The superb collection of the American Numismatic Society in New York contains 355 silver quinarii, but just 11 examples in gold. Many of these coins came from the bequest of Edward T. Newell (1886-1941). Another large group came from the collection of Charles Hersh (1923-1999) a banker, and numismatic scholar.

The First Quinarii

 

When it was introduced around 212 BCE, the silver denarius was valued at 10 bronze asses. The coin's obverse was prominently marked with a Roman numeral X, meaning 10. The quinarius, weighing a bit over two grams, was valued at five asses and marked with the numeral V. Weighing under a gram, the tiny silver sestertius, whose name means two and a half, was marked IIS. The S in this case stood for semis, meaning one-half. Around 23 BCE, the silver sestertius was replaced by a large bronze coin. Ancient mints were often reluctant to produce small denominations in precious metal because it was more work for less profit.

To read the complete article, see:
The Quinarius: An Ancient Roman Coin You've Never Heard of (https://coinweek.com/ancient-coins/the-quinarius-an-ancient-roman-coin-youve-never-heard-of/)

 

	NBS (coinbooks.org) Web