1. a gold coin of ancient Rome, especially one issued during the reign of Augustus and later emperors
Usage: historical; often capitalized when referring to a specific coin type

Examples

• The museum's collection includes several well-preserved aureus coins from the 1st century CE.
• Roman soldiers were sometimes paid in aureus rather than smaller denominations.
• Archaeologists discovered a hoard of aureus coins buried beneath the villa.
• The aureus was the standard gold currency of the Roman Empire for centuries.
• Collectors value ancient aureus specimens for their historical and numismatic significance.