<Tr> <Td> USA Gold Dollar 1849 - 1889 </Td> <Td> 1.51 grams </Td> <Td> 0.184 </Td> </Tr> <Tr> <Td> USA Gold Eagle 1986 - present </Td> <Td> 31.10 grams </Td> <Td> 3.802 </Td> </Tr> <P> Due to runaway inflation caused by the Roman government issuing base - metal coinage but refusing to accept anything other than silver or gold for tax payments, the value of the gold aureus in relation to the denarius grew drastically . Inflation was also affected by the systematic debasement of the silver denarius, which by the mid-3rd century had practically no silver left in it . </P> <P> In 301, one gold aureus was worth 8331⁄3 denarii; by 324, the same aureus was worth 4,350 denarii . In 337, after Constantine converted to the solidus, one solidus was worth 275,000 denarii and finally, by 356, one solidus was worth 4,600,000 denarii . </P>

Roma introduces the gold coin aureus 50 bce