Details for denomination: Sestertius - A guide to the coins of the Roman Empire

The Sestertius

The sestertius, or sesterce, was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small silver, and rare, coin issued only very occasionally. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin.

The name sestertius means "2 1/2", the coin's original value in asses, and is a combination of semis "half" and tertius "third", that is, "the third half" (0 1/2 being the first half and 1 1/2 the second half) or "half the third" (two units plus half the third unit, or halfway between the second unit and the third).

Copper alloy (brass, pale yellow when cleaned.)

As UK finds: Common AD 50s to 260s, especially 2 nd century

Weight: 15 - 28 g
Thickness: 3 - 4 mm
Diameter: 30 mm
Metal: Copper alloy

View all 6105 examples recorded on our database