Uncia

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Uncia (ounce), a bronze coin, the twelfth |part| of a Roman pound, or As [AS]. The issue of an As of a Roman pound of 12 unicae, or the as libralis, took place in the time of the Decemvirs, 451 BC, but the existing As rarely weigh more than 10 unicae. Later the As fell successively from 10 unicae to four, or perhaps this reduction was suddenly accomplished about the time of the first Punic War, 268 BC. In 217 BC the As was reduced to one unica by the Les Flaminia. At last in 89 BC or thereabouts, under the Lex Papiria, the As fell to a semiunica (half-ounce). The unica was rarely struck after the reduction of the As. The expression heres ex unica denoted the heir to a tenth or twelfth |part| of an estate. The mark of value of the unica was (a dash-like symbol -); of the semunica S. Among the pieces struck a Paestrum there occurs the Seacuncia (semisqueunica -S) equal the the eighth of an As.

The principal types of the earliest unica, semuncia, and aes grave of Italy are:
- Knuckle bone
- Acorn
- Grain of barley
- Vase
- Club
- Frog
- Spear-head
- Ear of corn
- Crescent
- Head of Apollo or Diana
- The Dioscuri
- Hercules
- Lion
- Boar's head
- Owl
- Axe with two edges (double axe or bipennis)
- Shell
- Anchor
- Thunderbolt (fulmen)
- Gaulish head
- Prow of a ship
- Two-handled vase
- Amphora
- Sacrificial knife
- Hatchet

The ordinary kind of unica is: Obverse: Helmeted head left, - behind. Reverse: Prow of a vessel to right, - below; bronze.

The following are types other than "prow of a ship" issued at Rome after the suppression of the as liberalis in 268 BC:

View whole page from the |Dictionary Of Roman Coins|