As (coin)

The AS (plural Asses) was a bronze, and later copper, coin used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire, named after the homonymous weight unit (12 unciae = ounces), but not immune to weight depreciation.

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The as was introduced in ca. 280 BC as a large cast bronze coin during the Roman Republic, the word as meaning unit or unity. In addition to the as, fractions, the bes (2/3), semis (1/2), quincunx (5/12), triens (1/3), quadrans (1/4), sextans (1/6), uncia (1/12, also a common weight unit), and semuncia (1/24), and multiples, the dupondius (2), tressis (3), quadrussis (4), quinquessis (5), and denarius (10), of the as were produced. During the Republic, the as featured the bust of Janus on the obverse and the prow of a galley on the reverse. The as was originally produced on the libral and then the reduced libral weight standard. The bronze coinage of the Republic switched from being cast to being struck as the weight decreased. During certain periods no asses were produced at all.

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Following the coinage reform of August in 23 BC, the as was struck in reddish pure copper (instead of bronze) and the sestertius (4 asses) and dupondius (2 asses) were produced in a golden-colored alloy of bronze known by numismatists as orichalcum. The as continued to be produced until 3rd century AD. It was the lowest valued coin regularly issued during the Roman Empire, with semis and quadrans being produced infrequently and then not at all by the time of Marcus Aurelius.

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Bronze: Bronze is the traditional name for a broad range of alloys of copper. It is usually copper with zinc and tin but it is not limited to those metals. First used during the Bronze Age, to which it gave its name, bronze made tools, weapons and armor that were either harder or more durable than their st...

Copper: Copper is a chemical element in the periodic table that has the symbol Cu and atomic number 29....

Coin: :This article is about monetary coins. For alternative meaning see word coinage....

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