The bes (plural ''besses'') was an
Ancient Roman
In modern historiography, ancient Rome refers to Roman civilisation from the founding of the city of Rome in the 8th century BC to the collapse of the Western Roman Empire in the 5th century AD. It encompasses the Roman Kingdom (753–509 BC ...
bronze
Bronze is an alloy consisting primarily of copper, commonly with about 12–12.5% tin and often with the addition of other metals (including aluminium, manganese, nickel, or zinc) and sometimes non-metals, such as phosphorus, or metalloids such ...
coin
A coin is a small, flat (usually depending on the country or value), round piece of metal or plastic used primarily as a medium of exchange or legal tender. They are standardized in weight, and produced in large quantities at a mint in order t ...
produced during the
Roman Republic
The Roman Republic ( la, Res publica Romana ) was a form of government of Rome and the era of the classical Roman civilization when it was run through public representation of the Roman people. Beginning with the overthrow of the Roman Kin ...
. Valued at two thirds of an
as (eight unciae),
it was only produced in 126 BC by C. Cassius in combination with the
dodrans
The dodrans (a contraction of Latin ''dequadrans'': "less a quarter") or nonuncium (from Latin ''nona uncia'': "ninth twelfth") was an Ancient Roman bronze coin produced during the Roman Republic.
The dodrans, valued at three quarters of an as ( ...
,
another very rare denomination which was valued at three quarters of an as (nine unciae). The obverse head displayed the god
Liber
In ancient Roman religion and mythology, Liber ( , ; "the free one"), also known as Liber Pater ("the free Father"), was a god of viticulture and wine, male fertility and freedom. He was a patron deity of Rome's plebeians and was part of the ...
facing to the right.
See also
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Roman currency
*
Ancient Greek coinage
The history of ancient Greek coinage can be divided (along with most other Greek art forms) into four periods: the Archaic, the Classical, the Hellenistic and the Roman. The Archaic period extends from the introduction of coinage to the Greek ...
References
Coins of ancient Rome
{{Coin-stub