Libralis Public Deposited
(heavy bronze) ; also called the Aes Libralis (i.e., pound of bronze), was the first Roman monetary unit. The basis was the Aes, which in its earliest form weighed an Oscan Latin pound of twelve ounces, derived from a standard originally brought to Italy by the Phocaeans. It is of a lenticular shape and the obverse bears the portrait of Janus bifrons and the figure 1 as an indication of the value. The re- verse has the prow of a galley, probably indicative of the maritime power of Rome, which had been greatly developed by the Decemviri (B.C. 452-450), to which period these coins are usually assigned. The best and latest authorities, however, place them a century later.
The divisions of the Aes are the Deunx or Iabus, 11 ounces Dextans or Decunx, 10 Dodrans or Dotlrns, 9 Bes or Bessis, 8 Septunx, 7 Semis, Semisxis, or Sexcunx, 6 Quincunx, Quicunx, or Cingus, 5 Triens, Triente, or Trias, 4 Quadrans, Quadrant, or Terunela, 3 Sextans, Sextaute, or Sextas, 2 Sescunx, 1
The multiples are the Dupondius, Tri- pondius, and Decussis; all of these are de- scribed under their respective names.
The Aes was reduced in weight as follows : Primitive Libral, B.C. 450 Twelve ounces Semilibral, B.C. 338 Six ounces Sextantal, B.C. 26S Two ounces Uncial. B.C. 217 One ounce Semi-Uncial, B.C. 89 Half of an ounce
- Frey's Dictionary (American Journal of Numismatics, Vol. 50, 1916)