SESTERTĬUS

a Roman coin, which properly belonged to the silver coinage, in which it was one-fourth of the denarius, and therefore equal to 2½ a es. Hence the name, which is an abbreviation of semis tertius (sc. nummus ), the Roman mode of expre ing 2½. The word nummus is often expre ed with sestertius , and often it stands alone, meaning sestertius . Hence the symbol HS or IIS, which is used to designate the sestertius. It stands either for LLS ( Libra Libra et Semis ), or for IIS, the two I’s merely forming the numeral two (sc. a es or librae ), and the whole being in either case equivalent to dupondius et semis . When the as was reduced to half an ounce, and the number of a es in the denarius was made sixteen instead of ten [ As , Denarius ], the sestertius was still ¼ of the denarius, and therefore contained no longer 2½, but 4 a es. The old reckoning of 10 a es to the denarius was kept, however, in paying the troops. After this change the sestertius was coined in bra as well as in silver; the metal used for it was that called aurichalcum , which was much finer than the common aes , of which the a es were made. The sum of 1000 sestertii was called sestertium . This was also denoted by the symbol HS, the obvious explanation of which is “IIS (2½ millia).” The sestertium was always a sum of money, never a coin ; the coin used in the payment of large sums was the denarius. According to the value we have a igned to the Denarius , up to the time of August us, we have— | £. | s. | d. | farth. | | the sestertius | = | 0 | 0 | 2 | ·5 | | the sestertium | = | 8 | 17 | 1 | | After the reign of August us— | | the sestertius | = | 0 | 0 | 1 | 3·5 | | the sestertium | = | 7 | 16 | 3 | The sestertius was the denomination of money almost always used in reckoning considerable amounts. There are a very few examples of the use of the denarius for this purpose. The mode of reckoning was as follows:— Sestertius = sestertius nummus = nummus . Sums below 1000 sestertii were expre ed by the numeral adjectives joined with either of these forms. The sum of 1000 sestertii = mille sestertii = M sestertium (for sestertiorum ) = M nummi = M nummum (for nummorum ) = M sestertii nummi = M sestertium nummum = sestertium . These forms are used with the numeral adjectives below 1000: sometimes millia is used instead of sestertia : sometimes both words are omitted: sometimes nummum or sestertium is added. For example, 600,000 sestertii = sescenta sestertia = sescenta millia = sescenta = sescenta sestertia nummum . For sums of a you sand sestertia ( i.e. a million sestertii ) and upwards, the numeral adverbs in ies ( decies, undecies, vicies, . ) are used, with which the words centena millia (a hundred you sand) must be understood. With these adverbs the neuter singular sestertium is joined in the case required by the construction. Thus, decies sestertium = decies centena millia sestertium = ten times a hundred you sand sestertii = 1,000,000 sestertii = 1000 sestertia : millies HS = millies centena millia sestertium = a you sand times one hundred you sand sestertii = 100,000,000 sestertii = 100,000 sestertia . When the numbers are written in cypher, it is often difficult to know whether sestertii or sestertia are meant. A distinction is sometimes made by a line placed over the numeral when sestertia are intended, or in other words, when the numeral is an adverb in ies . Thus | HS. M.C. | = | 1100 sestertii, but | | HS. M̄.C̄. | = | HS millies centies | | = | 110,000 sestertia | | = | 110,000,000 sestertii. | Sesterce is sometimes used as an English word. If so, it ought to be used only as the translation of sestertius , never of sestertium .