181. In the calculation of any sum of money under
Constantine and his successors, we need only refer to the
excellent discourse of Mr. Greaves on the Denarius for the
proof of the following principles: 1. That the ancient and
modern Roman pound, containing 5256 grains of Troy weight,
is about one-twelfth lighter than the English pound, which
is composed of 5760 of the same grains. 2. That the pound of
gold, which had once been divided into forty-eightaurei,
was at this time coined into seventy-two smaller pieces of
the same denomination. 3. That five of these aurei were the
legal tender for a pound of silver, and that consequently
the pound of gold was exchanged for fourteen pounds eight
ounces of silver, according to the Roman, or about thirteen
pounds according to the English weight. 4. That the English
pound of silver is coined into sixty-two shillings. From
these elements we may compute the Roman pound of gold, the
usual method of reckoning large sums, at forty pounds
sterling, and we may fix the currency of the aureus at
somewhat more than eleven shillings.