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Ref # Description Image
    First Release    
ROM-1   One Sesterce (One Sestertius) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-2   Two Sesterces (One Quinarius Argentus) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-3   Four Sesterces (One Denarius) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-4   Eight Sesterces (One Antoninianus) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-5   Twenty Sesterces (Five Denarii) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-6   Fifty Sesterces (One Gold Quinarii) 2007   [Picture & Info]
ROM-7   One Hundred Sesterces (One Aureus) 2007   [Picture & Info]
    Second Release    
ROM-8   One Sesterce - One Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
ROM-9   Four Sesterces - Four Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
ROM-10   Eight Sesterces - Eight Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
ROM-11   Twenty Sesterces - Twenty Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
ROM-12   Fifty Sesterces - Fifty Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
ROM-13   One Hundred Sesterces - 100 Sestertius 2018   [Picture & Info]
         
INTRODUCTION

What would have happened if Romans in the time of the emperors, had paper money? What if they did, and nothing is left to prove it? And wouldn't be neat if they had it? And if they didn't have it then, that is not the reason for it not existing now!

CURRENCY NAME:

Sestertius (also Sesterce) -- plural: sestertii or sesterces. Originally silver, its use died out until Augustus revived it and struck it in an alloy called orichalcum, which is very similar to brass, so the sesterce had a pleasing bright, golden appearance. The sesterce is also large and fairly thick, so artists had plenty of room to show their skills.

The sestertius was also used as a standard unit of account, represented on inscriptions with the monogram HS.

It's difficult to make any comparisons with modern coinage or prices, but for most of the first century AD the ordinary legionary was paid 900 sestertii per year, less than 3 sestertii per day. Half of this was deducted for living costs, leaving the soldier (if he was lucky enough actually to get paid) with about 1.5 sestertii per day.

RELEASING AUTHORITY:

AERARIUM IMPERIUM ROMANUM – THE ROMAN EMPIRE TREASURY.
Aerarium comes from Latin word "aes", in its derived sense of "money", which was the name given in Ancient Rome to the public treasury, and in a secondary sense to the public finances.

COAT OF ARMS:

Coat of arms is presented by soldiers holding a shield with the abbreviation SPQR, which stood for 'senatus populusque romanus' and that means 'the senate and the people of Rome'. The famous SPQR adorns many public buildings and statues of Rome and, most famously, it was engraved on the battle standards of the Roman legion.

ABOUT THE 2007 A.D. SET:

The set includes 7 notes with 7 important emperors on the front, and on the back side the motives depicted are showing roman architectural achievements or power of their armies, which where essential in order to rule to such an vast empire successfully.

The timeline covered is from the first emperor of Roman Empire, Augustus to the last emperor (of East and Western Empire) Constantine. The idea of the set is put in his time actually, that is why there is no definite year of his death shown on the front of the note, like it is done on every other novelty note.

THIS SET OF SESTERTIUS NOTES is unique in many ways. Because it is supposed to represent the blend of old and new. To represent the ancient romans to modern generations.

In spirit of better understanding the Roman culture and the whole idea of the set, the names and values are given in latin and english, such as roman emperors names and other detail. Some things, such as latin proverbs on the back, are left intentionaly untranslated.

Romans used many different coins in their lives, but main coins were the aureus (gold), the denarius (silver), the sestertius (bronze), the dupondius (bronze), and the as (copper). These were used from the middle of the third century BC until the middle of the third century AD, a remarkably long time.

From the coins showed on the list, only Dupondius, As and Quadrans which are smaller denominations, are not included in this set of notes (not yet, but maybe in the future).

COINS SHOWN ON THE 2007 A.D. BANKNOTES:

Paper note for 1 sesterce shows coin for 1 sesterce
Paper note for 2 sesterce shows coin for 1 quinarius argentus
Paper note for 4 sesterce shows coin 1denarius
Paper note for 8 sesterce shows coin for 1 antoninianus
Paper note for 20 sestertius is worth 5 denarii, coin shown denarius
Paper note for 50 sestertius shows coin for 1 golden quinarii
Paper note for 100 sestertius shows golden coin aureus

Symbol Value

I = 1 (one) (UNUS)
II = 2 (two) (DUO)
IV = IIII = 4 (four) (QUATTUOR)
VIII = IIX = 8 (eight) (OCTO)
XX = 20 (twenty) (VIGINTI)
L = 50 (fifty) (QUINQUAGINTA)
C = 100 (hundred) (CENTUM).

         
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