# Libral standard

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Ancient coin standard

The **libral standard** compares the weight of [coins](/source/Coin) to the bronze *[as](/source/As_(Roman_coin))*, which originally weighed one [Roman pound](/source/Ancient_Roman_units_of_measurement), but decreased over time to 1/2 pound (the **semi-libral standard**). It is often used in discussions of ancient cast coinage of central Italy, especially [Etruscan coins](/source/Etruscan_coins) and [Roman Republican coinage](/source/Roman_Republican_coinage). The adjective *libral* is related to *libra*, the [Ancient Roman](/source/Ancient_Rome) unit of weight, and is not related to the word *[liberal](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Liberal)*.

The libral standard began with the era of the so-called [aes grave](/source/Aes_grave) (heavy bronze) cast coinage of Rome, from circa 280 BC, where one *as* weighed one Roman pound ([libra](/source/Ancient_Roman_units_of_measurement)), or twelve Roman ounces ([unciae](/source/Ancient_Roman_units_of_measurement)). This changed when the weight of the aes grave was decreased to approximately 10 unciae (the "light libral standard") circa 265-217 BC, remaining at that level until about 217 BC. It then suddenly fell to 6 unciae (the "semi-libral standard") around the start of the second Punic war in about 217 BC, before finally falling still further until about 141 BC.[1]

The libral/semi-libral standards were followed by the **triental standards** and the **sextantal standard**.

Many Greek city states (colonies) were founded on the Italian peninsula and Sicily during this time period; these are collectively referred to as [Magna Graecia](/source/Magna_Graecia). The coinage of those city-states is more closely related to the rest of the ancient Greek world (which included many colonies along the [Mediterranean](/source/Mediterranean) and [Black Sea](/source/Black_Sea) coasts), and generally has no relationship to the Etruscan/Roman units.

## Notes

1. **[^](#cite_ref-1)** Crawford 1974:131-236

## References

- Crawford, Michael H. (1974). *Roman Republican Coinage*, Cambridge University Press, 2 Volumes. [ISBN](/source/ISBN_(identifier)) [0-521-07492-4](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:BookSources/0-521-07492-4)

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