Talk:Denarius

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We need at least a brief article on as (currency) or something like it; the current article on as that this one links to goes to several different topics, none of which seem remotely related. Wesley 20:22, 29 Jul 2003 (UTC)

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[edit] Daily Wage Value

I think I take issue with saying that the average American day laborer earns 180 US$ a day - that would be an hourly wage of 22.5 $/hr assuming a standard 8 hour work day. Median yearly income in 2003 was $40,668 (according to the US census), which works out to about 19.5 $/hr. But that includes everyone (including doctors, lawyers, engineers, and other high-paying jobs), not just "day laborers". I think it's probably safer to say that the average day laborer earns up to twice minimum wage - which means they max out at $82/day. just my 2 cents worth YggdrasilsRoot 14:20, 20 February 2006 (UTC)

It might be worth taking that part out entirely. Readers in Finland, Australia, or Japan probably aren't helped by the comparison - but they can compare the US$20/day wage to their own countries wage scales through a simple currency conversion (what? They only made 12,522 floobles a day!?!) - Vedexent 14:50, 20 February 2006 (UTC)
I agree take it out, the comparrison is missleading, as the wealth distribution, currencys issued (US has no Gold or Silver coins) culture and technologies are different. I would a best compare with 3rd world countries like Rwanda, Laos or Bolivia than america for wages.

Thankyou Enlil Ninlil 02:10, 22 March 2006 (UTC)

The US does have a $1 coin containing 1 troy ounce of silver, minted in 1986. According to this, $1 1986 USD is worth $0.561 2005 USD. This does make alot of assumptions, namely that $1 is the worth of 1 troy ounce of silver and not just put in the coin to give it a value.
Also, checking some silver exchange websites, 1 denarius, being worth to 31.1 grams of silver or 1.097 ounces, is worth roughly $13.20 as of August 15, 2006. This would be a far more reliable estimate, though the silver market fluctuates so its hard to get a more accurate estimate.
And bringing in a less reliable estimate, 1981 US Strategic Stockpile coins of 1 troy ounce of silver run from $14 to $15. Given the information presented, it is my opinion that a denarius was the very, very rough equivalent of an American $10 or $20 bill.--2ltben 03:21, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
So that would make it about 20 Australian dollars, this is not a good anallysis as it is very hard to judge wages over time as most of the historical information from the roman period is not there. Enlil Ninlil 05:01, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
Not the wages, but the value of the coin itself. However, one assumption made is that the coin was worth the value of the silver bullion itself. Unfortunately this isn't the case. I think a better answer would lie in analysis of costs, not wages. Much information is known on the costs of Roman goods, which can be compared with the goods of later civilizations, ones that would be far easier to reach an equivalency with. England, France, the Holy Roman Empire, or, particularly, Byzantium.--2ltben 20:35, 16 August 2006 (UTC)
Cost would be good, but we dont know how much an Amphorae would cost to produce or sell, most of the knoledge is sketetal at best. Even the metal content of the denarius was redused from Augustus (about 95%) to the Antonines debased, but still it is the best we can do so we should change it for the better. Enlil Ninlil 05:16, 24 August 2006 (UTC)
Seems to me that someone was confusing grams with grains when they did their calculation. The conventional silver content of an ancient denarius was about 1 dram, or an eighth of an ounce. In Charlemagne's time, the silver content of a denarius was set at one twentieth of an ounce. These coins were quite small then, similar to a dime. Rwflammang 16:15, 16 May 2007 (UTC)

[edit] coin size

What's the size of these coins? Furthermore, why do they look deformed? Were they that irregular shape when minted? --euyyn 21:27, 6 July 2006 (UTC)

The coins went on weight as indicated, the size and shape wasnt that important. They would have been made by hand, so the shapes would be different. Enlil Ninlil 09:36, 19 July 2006 (UTC)
Well, the size could be not important, but they surely had a size! Say... as a hand? As a present day coin? Smaller? What about the irregularities? Were them originally irregular or were them deformed due to some squashing? --euyyn 23:33, 27 July 2006 (UTC)
There is no one answer, for some when they were stamped they would have been deformed as sometimes the dies were not properly place on the metal flan, but they would have made them as round as possible, others maybe squashed. And weight is not that consistant, they were reoughly 4.5 grams but may vary between 3.9-4.7 depending on coin. Enlil Ninlil 05:34, 28 July 2006 (UTC)
I saw some in an exposition a few months ago and had the impression they were quite small, something about half and euro coin (they were visible only through a lens, so I couldn't have an exact measure). Is it right? --euyyn 01:03, 17 February 2007 (UTC)

[edit] What did the Denarius represent?

I read or heard that it represented a day's wage. 74.195.25.78 (talk) 02:30, 19 January 2008 (UTC)

[edit] Virtually the same

"the Slovenian word denar and the Catalan word diner all meaning money, are also derived from Latin "denarius". The currency unit in the Republic of Macedonia, the denar, is closest in name to the Latin denarius."

So, they are spelled the same, I'm betting they are pronounced the same, so, tell me, how can the Macedonian version be closer? MihaS (talk) 15:27, 22 May 2008 (UTC)