The history of the degradation of copper was seen better in Sicily, where we found the litra still weighing 990 grs., but it rapidly sank to only 200 grs., evidently in this case also being mere money of account. For as the silver litra was about 13½ grs., unless the 200 grain copper litra was a mere token, silver would have been to copper as 17:1, which is obviously absurd. In the case of the Italian as the process is still clearer, for we have every stage of the as, from the bars which I have described through the libral as (aes grave), the sextantal as, the uncial and half-uncial, down to the small coin of the empire commonly called “a third brass.”
