They used a Greek-style silver coin in addition to the bronze as for another hundred years. Then, in or about 187 BC, they reorganized their system and from this overhaul came the denarius, a silver coin worth about ten asses. The Punic Wars had decreased the value of the as and it depreciated again, in or about 130 BC, to approximately 16 per denarius. The as and the denarius remained the most common coins, and their use fluctuated throughout the remainder of Roman civilization. With the dawn of the Imperial age under Augustus, new coins went into circulation using four metals: gold, silver, brass, and bronze (or copper). The gold aureus, first introduced during the Second Punic War, became more widely used, although the as and denarius remained in circulation. Typically, gold and silver coins had official use, such as the paying of salaries, while the brass and bronze coins were used in everyday
They used a Greek-style silver coin in addition to the bronze as for another hundred years. Then, in or about 187 BC, they reorganized their system and from this overhaul came the denarius, a silver coin worth about ten asses. The Punic Wars had decreased the value of the as and it depreciated again, in or about 130 BC, to approximately 16 per denarius. The as and the denarius remained the most common coins, and their use fluctuated throughout the remainder of Roman civilization. With the dawn of the Imperial age under Augustus, new coins went into circulation using four metals: gold, silver, brass, and bronze (or copper). The gold aureus, first introduced during the Second Punic War, became more widely used, although the as and denarius remained in circulation. Typically, gold and silver coins had official use, such as the paying of salaries, while the brass and bronze coins were used in everyday