Everything about Solidus Coin totally explained
A
solidus (the
Latin word for
solid) was originally a
gold coin issued by the
Romans.
It was introduced by
Constantine I in 309–10, and was used through the
Byzantine Empire until the
10th century. The coin replaced the
aureus as the main gold coin of the Roman Empire.
The name
solidus had previously been used by
Diocletian (284–305) for the gold coin that he introduced, which is different from the solidus introduced by Constantine. The coin was struck at a theoretical value of 1/72 of a
Roman pound (about 4.5 grams). Solidi were wider and thinner than the
Aureus, with the exception of some lower quality issues from the Byzantine Empire. The weight and fineness of the solidus remained relatively constant throughout its long production. Fractions of the solidus known as
semissis (half-solidi) and
tremissis (one-third solidi) were also produced.
The word
soldier is ultimately derived from
solidus, referring to the solidi with which soldiers were paid.
Impact on world currencies
In medieval Europe, when the only coin in circulation was the silver penny (denarius), the 'solidus' was used as a unit of account equal to 12 denarii. Variations on the word
solidus in the local language gave rise to a number of currency units:
France
To this day,
sou is used as slang a small coin of little value, as in
sans le sou. "I'm broke", "without money". It is also a slang term for the
Canadian cent (standard French,
cent).
Italy
The name of the medieval Italian
soldo (plural
soldi) was derived from
solidus.
This word is still in common use today in Italy in its plural
soldi with the same meaning that the English equivalent
money.
Spain and Peru
The name of the medieval
Spanish sueldo (which also means salary) was derived from
solidus, which is also used in the Philippines as
Suweldo. Subsequently the name of the
Peruvian
sol (more formally
sol de oro intended to mean
gold solidus) was derived from this name although, because
sol actually means
sun in
Spanish (from the
Latin sol), the
etymology of the currency's name is commonly misunderstood. To complicate matters, the Sun God was a foremost figure of the
Incan Empire that reigned in what is now Peru.
United Kingdom
Until
decimalisation in the
United Kingdom in
1971, the abbreviation
s., from
solidus, was used to represent
shillings, just as
d. and
£, from
denarius and
Libra, were respectively used to represent
pence and
pounds, leading to the abbreviation "
£sd".
Further Information
Get more info on 'Solidus Coin'.
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