52,500 Roman coins, Wow!!! To get an Idea of how much this was worth in those ancient times here is a guage to work with. ------------------------ The gold aureus of Marcus Aurelius was worth 25 silver denarii and would represent a month's pay to a legionary soldier. A Republican denarius c. 137 BC would have paid a legionary soldier for about three days and bought enough wheat to bake his daily bread for nearly a month. A 1st century AD dupondius of Nero would have purchased a loaf of pre-baked bread in Pompeii or Rome and two loaves in smaller cities in Italy where prices reflected the simpler lifestyle and lower prices. The Roman diet was very dependent on grain. The average Roman adult male ate two pounds of wheat bread each day. While loaves of baked bread were available in the market, most evidence on prices that have come down to us refer to the standard measure for wheat, the modius (about two gallons). A modius would bake up into roughly 20 one pound loaves of bread so it would provide the needed bread for ten days. The Roman mind placed importance on a concept of 'Just Price' feeling wronged if grain was not available at this price (or less). Politicians and those who would be public benefactors could gain considerable status by insuring the availability of grain in the market even to the point of buying high priced grain and reselling it at a loss as a public service. In the early years of coinage, the 'Just Price' was about 4 asses per modius. By the time of Caesar it was 12 asses; under Nero it could be as much as 2 denarii (32 asses). These prices are really rather stable when compared to the inflation that the modern world has experienced during the century now ending. The wars of the third century resulted in an end of this stability frequently raising prices to levels where ordinary workers were reduced to near subsistence levels. In the Republic (c.200-150 BC) we find records of the pay for a legionary soldier set at 3 asses per day and wheat sold for 4 asses per modius. This would allow a soldier to buy enough bread for a year with about two month's pay. The revaluation of the denarius from 10 to 16 asses in 141 BC raised the legionary pay to 5 asses a day and the price of wheat to a bit over 6 asses per modius. By the time of Caesar, a legionary made 10 asses a day but wheat cost 12 asses a modius. Allowing for local variations all of these prices remained somewhat proportionate to the wages. During the early Empire a modius would sell for two denarii in Rome but could be had for half that price in the rural parts of Italy and only 8 asses (half a denarius) in the breadbasket of Egypt. Baked bread sold for a dupondius a loaf in the expensive cities like Rome and Pompeii and half that (one as) in more rural towns. By this time the legionary was earning nearly a denarius a day but the Praetorian Guard (at Rome) were paid more partially for their honored position and partly to offset the expense of living in the City. Comparing today's prices for bread at the supermarket might suggest an as was worth a bit over a dollar US placing the denarius at about $20.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency The website will have an easier read of the values, here is view of early republic coin values with each-other coin type. Early Republic Values[3] (after. 211 B.C.) Denarius Sestertius Dupondius As Semis Triens Quadrans Quincunx Denarius 1 4 5 10 20 30 40 24 Sestertius ¼ 1 1 ¼ 2 ½ 5 7 ½ 10 6 Dupondius ⅕ ⅘ 1 2 4 6 8 4 ⅘ As 1⁄10 ⅖ ½ 1 2 3 4 2 ⅖ Semis 1⁄20 ⅕ ¼ ½ 1 1 ½ 2 1 ⅕ Triens 1⁄30 2⁄15 ⅙ ⅓ ⅔ 1 1 ⅓ ⅘ Quadrans 1⁄40 1⁄10 ⅛ ¼ ½ ¾ 1 ⅗ Quincunx 1⁄24 ⅙ 5⁄24 5⁄12 ⅚ 1 ¼ 1 ⅔ 1
