sestertius

Meanings

1. 1
   noun

   an ancient Roman coin and unit of account worth one-quarter of a denarius, originally two and a half asses and later four asses

   The inscription records that each laborer received one sestertius for the day's work.

Borrowed from Latin sestertius, from semis ('half') + tertius ('third'). The expression meant 'halfway to the third,' that is, two full asses and half of a third.

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