Rome’s shrinking silver · Bits | Best of Bitcoin

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History of Money

Rome’s shrinking silver

Augustus · c. 15 BC

95–98%

silver

Gallienus · 260s AD

~2%

silver

silvercopper filler

Rome's denarius fell from about 95–98% silver under Augustus to about 2% by the 260s AD.

Governments debasing their currency is a pattern.

Source: A. W. Pense, "The decline and fall of the Roman denarius", Materials Characterization (1992); M. F. Hendy, Cambridge UP (1985) · Oct 16, 2026

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