Dupondius

The dupondius (Latin two-pounder) was a brass coin used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire valued at 2 asses (4/5 of a sestertius or 1/5 of a denarius during the Republic and 1/2 of a sestertius or 1/8 of a denarius during the time of Augustus).

The initial coins featured the bust of Roma on the obverse and a six-spoked wheel on the reverse.

[2][3] The dupondius was normally further distinguished from the similarly sized as with the addition of a radiate crown to the bust of the emperor in 66 AD during the reign of Nero.

[4][failed verification] Since dupondii minted prior to and during the reign of Nero, and occasionally under later rulers, lack the radiate crown, it is often hard to distinguish between the as and the dupondius due to heavy patina which often obscures the coin's original color[citation needed].

An extremely rare dupondius from the reign of Marcus Aurelius, dated to 154 or 155 and in excellent condition, was discovered in 2007 at the archaeological site in Draper's Gardens, London[citation needed].

Sestertius of Hadrian , dupondius of Antoninus Pius , and as of Marcus Aurelius
Dupondius of Vespasian (69–79), struck at Lyon in about 72–73. This coin seems to have escaped the serious corrosion typically observed in ancient coins and thus retains nearly its original appearance and colour, showing why the Romans sometimes also called this alloy aurichalcum , from aurum for gold in Latin+"-chalcum" as in the most widely used orichalcum . The coin measures about 29mm in diameter.