Quadrans

Moneta Historical Research by Tom Schroer

The "Quadrans" (plural: "quadrantes"), like most other Roman Imperial bronzes of the first three centuries AD, had its origin in the Roman Republican coinage system. The first Roman bronze coins (aes grave) were produced in the early third century BC at weights literally corresponding to the Roman weight system, from the "as" (Roman pound of about 327.45 grams) to the semuncia (half-ounce of 13.6 grams). "Quadrans" is Latin for "a quarter" or "one-fourth", and when applied to the weight system (and thus to the early bronze coinage) it meant a quarter of an "as" (pound).  The quadrans was also known as a "teruncius", which literally meant "three times a twelfth" (from 'ter' and 'uncia'). There was no unique mark of value associated with the quadrans, but since it was a quarter of a pound, and the Roman pound was comprised of twelve unciae (ounces), it was marked as three unciae, meaning three dots.  The quadrans in the first half of the third century BC weighed a full quarter of a pound, or about 82 grams, and was initially cast.

Shortly thereafter the bronze declined in weight and by the end of the third century BC began to be struck, at which time the weight of the quadrans was about 40 grams. About 90 BC the "lex Plautia Papiria" enacted the "semuncial" standard, which fixed the weight of the "as" denomination at the weight of a "semuncia" (about 13.6 grams). The other bronze coins were reduced in proportion to the "as", so the quadrans was struck at about 13.6/4 or about 3.4 grams. However the bronze coins did not long survive the "lex Plautia Papiria" (their production ceased about 80 BC), and although Caesar and Mark Antony began a limited revival of the bronzes, the quadrans was not struck again until the mint of Lugdunum produced a scarce issue for Augustus about 15 BC. The quadrantes of Augustus were generally produced in copper at a weight of 2.95 - 3.35 ounces and a diameter of 14 - 18 millimeters. The quadrans was the smallest denomination of Roman Imperial coinage except for the very brief appearance of unciae under Hadrian. Since it was a quarter of an "as", it was valued at 1/64 of a denarius (a denarius being about an average day's wage in first century Rome).

It is one of the Roman coins mentioned in the Bible. Jesus says in Matthew 5:26, "Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost quadrans."  In Mark 12:42 Jesus says, "And there came a certain poor widow, and she threw in two 'lepta', which make a quadrans." (The original Greek text uses "kodranten" and "kodrantes" respectively, although modern English translations variously render the term (as well as the Greek term 'lepta') to give the average modern reader an idea of what is meant).

Quadrantes continued to be struck at about the same weight and diameter in copper until about 63 when Nero tried his famous experiment in orichalcum coinage, at which time the weight was reduced to about 2.1 grams. Another interesting feature of Nero's experiment was the placement of the old mark of value (three dots) upon certain of the orichalcum issues. However his experiment did not survive his own reign and by 65 the quadrans was again returned to copper. Although neither Galba, Otho, nor Vitellius struck quadrantes, their production resumed with Vespasian and continued until sometime in the reign of Hadrian when they finally ceased to be struck.


DICTIONARY OF ROMAN COINS



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Quadrans. - Three globules are the certain token of the Quadrans, or of the as divided into four parts, and the head of Hercules is the equally sure type.

Quadrans - The brass coin so called had its name from a mark of three globules originally denoting three uncia, whilst the as weighed a pound (libra), but in the second Punic war it was reduced to one uncia.


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