What are denarii?

Denarii, the plural form of denarius, are small silver coins that were part of the Roman currency system. The denarius was first minted around 211 BC. It weighed about 4.5 grams and was the approximate equivalent of a day's wage for a common laborer or soldier.

The denarius was the mainstay of Roman currency throughout the final centuries of the Roman Republic and remained important during the period encompassing the Roman Empire until it was replaced by the antoninianus in the middle of the third century. Denarii are often mentioned as the currency in circulation in the New Testament section of the Bible, such as in the book of Matthew.