An ancient Roman coin or unit of money, worth a quarter of a denarius and commonly used in everyday transactions.
From Latin 'sestertius,' originally meaning 'two and a half' (from 'semis' half and 'tertius' third), referring to its value relative to other coins.
The Roman economy is knowable because of sesterces—so many were minted and survived that archaeologists can track inflation, wages, and the cost of living across centuries, making ancient Rome more economically transparent than many medieval societies.
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