weight of a denarius
This denarius contained an average 4.5 grams, or 1 â 72 of a Roman pound of silver. It formed the backbone of Roman currency throughout the Roman republic. The denarius began to undergo slow debasement toward the end of the republican period. Under the rule of Augustus, (63 BC-AD 14) its silver content fell to 3.9 grams (a theoretical weight of 1 â 84 of a Roman pound). It remained at nearly this weight until the time of Nero (AD 37-68), when it was reduced to 1 â 96 of a