Solidus
Also called: Solidi · Topic: The Roman Empire · NCERT: Class 11, Ch 2 "An Empire Across Three Continents"
Meaning
The solidus (plural solidi) was a gold coin with 4.5 grams of pure gold. Constantine introduced it c. 310 CE. Late Rome had given up silver coins because the Spanish silver mines were worn out. Millions of solidi were minted, and the coin outlasted the Roman Empire itself.
Example
The solidus gave the fourth-century empire stable money and was used to pay the bureaucracy. Under Justinian, Egypt alone paid more than 2.5 million solidi in taxes every year, roughly 35,000 pounds of gold.
Don't confuse with
- Denarius: the denarius was the Roman silver coin of the early empire, with about 4.5 grams of pure silver. The solidus was the gold coin of the late empire.