AS of Clunia

Reproduction of an As of Clunia (Iberian-Roman coin, 1st century BC) Minted from a bronze As with a male bust on the obverse and a lancer horseman to the right with the Iberian legend CLOUNIOQ below (KOLOUNIOKU)

• Type: As of Clunia (Ibero-Roman coin)
• Original period: 1st century BC
• Mint: Clunia (Coruña del Conde, Burgos)
• Obverse: male bust facing right.
• Reverse: Horseman with spear, with Iberian legend CLOUNIOQ below (KOLOUNIOKU)
• Material: Zamak ( zinc alloy with aluminum, magnesium and copper)

History:

Clunia was an important city in the northern Iberian Peninsula, first Celtiberian and later Roman. During this period of change, coins began to be minted that combined Roman symbols (the male bust, the horseman with a lance, the value "As") with inscriptions in the Iberian language, such as the legend CLOUNIOQ (the local reading of "Clunia").

What was an Ace in ancient Rome?

The As was a bronze or copper coin and functioned as the basic unit of the Roman monetary system, something like "the small coin" of the time.
We could compare it to the relationship between the euro and the cents: the ace was the reference value on which the others were calculated.

To understand it better:

1 denarius was equivalent to 16 asses.

1 sestertius was worth 4 asses.

In other words, the as was the everyday currency: with a few asses you could buy simple things, like a loaf of bread, a glass of wine, a candle or a small portion of food.
It was not a currency for large transactions, but for the daily life of an ordinary Roman citizen.