History of coins · 211 BC
211 BC: Rome introduces the denarius
During the war against Hannibal, Rome creates the silver denarius – the backbone of Roman money for about 450 years.
Around 211 BC, in the middle of the Second Punic War, Rome reformed its coinage and introduced the denarius, a silver coin originally worth ten bronze asses – hence its name. It became the standard coin of the Roman Republic and Empire.
Over the centuries its silver content fell steadily, until in the 3rd century AD it was largely replaced by other coins. The word lives on: 'dinar' in many countries and the 'd' for pence in the old British system both go back to the denarius. Republican and imperial denarii are among the most collected ancient coins.
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