Rome was a Republic before it became an Empire. The Roman Republic existed from 509 to 27 BC. According to legend, a man named Brutus overthrew the last Roman king. Brutus established a Roman Republic that was governed by the Senate.

The Roman Senate was headed by two consuls. The consul is the highest elected official in the Republic. A Roman consul is similar to a modern president or prime minister. The Roman Republic had two consuls that shared power. Each consul served a one year term.

The Roman Republic ended in 27 BC, when Augustus Caesar became Rome’s first emperor. The Roman Empire still maintained a Senate. However, the Senate would never regain the authority it had during the Republican period.

The Founding Fathers were inspired by the Roman Republic. Similar to the Roman Republic, the United States holds elections for its senators.

My coin is a silver Denarius minted by the Roman Republic. A typical Republican Denarius weighs 3.5 to 4 grams. These coins were minted in 99% pure silver. The Denarius maintained a 99% purity throughout the Republican era. When Rome became an Empire, the Denarius was gradually debased.

Government officials tasked with minting coins are known as “moneyers.” Roman moneyers stamped their names on the coins they produced.

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