Ancient Coins
Ancient coin values don’t translate neatly into modern money. Prices, wages, and metal content varied by place and time, and any ‘today value’ changes every year.
To keep things clear, we usually describe coins by metal (gold, silver, copper/bronze) and sometimes by size and typical buying power in context, rather than claiming an exact modern price.
- Gold coins were rare in everyday life and signal large sums or royal/imperial contexts.
- Silver coins (like drachmas and denarii) often relate to wages or ordinary purchases.
- Copper/bronze coins covered small change.
Sometimes we translate the meaning rather than the coin value, by saying things like ‘a day’s wage’; this better conveys the writer’s intent.
To see the specific name of the coin, consult the interlinear version of the text (we provide interlinears for all of our translated texts).
Coins as Weight
Where useful, we add approximate weights when known, since ancient systems linked value to metal mass:
- Shekel (weight): ~0.4–0.5 oz (11–14 g); often used as a coin-weight standard
- Mina: ~1.1–1.3 lb (0.5–0.6 kg)
- Talent: ~66–75 lb (30–34 kg)