Using Roman Coins in Ancient Rome

Part of collecting Roman coins involves understanding the history and usage behind the coin – what it bought and what it was worth. During the time of Ancient Rome, the citizens of the Roman Empire used the silver Denarius as the standard unit of money. Smaller Roman coins included the brass Sesterius and the copper As. It took 100 to 200 denarii to pay for a cow, 500 denarii to pay for a male slave, and 2000-6000 denarii to pay for a female slave. For an apartment, you would pay 50-300 denarii per year. Roman soldiers made good salaries for their services to the Roman empire. A Centurion on the front line of battle made 300 denarii a month. However, if you held an academic job, such as a lecturer, you might make 15 denarii per month.