Rome, Republican Denarius, Apollo // Victory - 97 BCE - Roman Republic

Includes glass top display box. Denomination: Denarius Authority: Minted during the time of the Roman senate, before the first emperor Mint Location: City of Rome Type Number: RRC 333/1 (referring to Roman Republican Coinage, the standard reference book for coins of the Roman Republic) Design: Head of the god Apollo (obverse) / Goddess of victory inscribing shield attached to trophy (reverse) The Roman denarius was an ancient silver coin that played a central role in the Roman economy from the late Republican era through the Imperial era. Originally, it was a high-quality silver coin, consisting of roughly 95% pure silver. However, as the Roman Republic transitioned into the Roman Empire, the silver content of the denarius gradually decreased in a process known as debasement. This allowed the government to produce more coins with the same amount of silver, which was primarily driven by the financial pressures of funding wars, infrastructure projects, and maintaining the empire