The following story was sent to me by a friend on an email. I am no expert on the things it talks about – the rockets of NASA and how they are affected by the technology of ancient Roman Empire – but it sounds so incredible, that it has to be true!

Here is the story

In the United States the standard railroad gauge (distance between the rails) is 4 feet, 8.5 inches. That’s an exceedingly odd number, so why was  that gauge used? Because that’s the way they built them in England, and English expatriates built the US Railroads.

Why did the English build them like that?

Because the first rail lines were built by the same people who built the pre-railroad tramways, and that’s the gauge they used.

Why did “they” use that gauge then?

Because the people who built the tramways used the same jigs and tools that they used for building wagons, which used that wheel spacing.

Okay! Why did the wagons have that particular odd wheel spacing?

Well, if they tried to use any other spacing, the wagon wheels would break on some of the old, long distance roads in England, because that’s the spacing of the wheel ruts.

So who built those old rutted roads?

Imperial Rome built the first long distance roads in Europe (and England) for their legions. The roads have been used ever since.

And the ruts in the roads?

Roman war chariots formed the initial ruts, which everyone else had to match for fear of destroying their wagon wheels. Since the chariots were made for Imperial Rome, they were all alike in the matter of wheel spacing.
So the United States standard railroad gauge of 4 feet, 8.5 inches was derived from the original specifications for an Imperial Roman war chariot. So the next time you are handed a specification and wonder what horse’s ass came up with it, you may be exactly right, because the Imperial Roman war chariots were made just wide enough to accommodate the back ends of two war horses.

The point to this story?

When you see a Space Shuttle sitting on its launch pad, there are two big booster rockets attached to the sides of the main fuel tank. These are solid rocket boosters, or SRBs. The SRBs are made by Thiokol at their factory at Utah. The engineers who designed the SRB would have preferred to make them a bit fatter, but the SRBs had to be shipped by train from the factory to the launch site. The railroad line from the factory happens to run through a tunnel in the mountains. The SRBs had to fit through that tunnel.

The tunnel is slightly wider than the railroad track, and the railroad track, as you now know, is about as wide as two horses’ behinds.

So, a major Space Shuttle design feature of what is arguably the world’s most advanced transportation system was determined over two thousand years ago by the width of a horse’s ass!

If anyone has interesting spam like this, feel free to send it to my email roman [ät] financialjesus [dot] com

As promised in my last post – Ask a question, get it answered by me – I will every day answer the best question I get here on Financial Jesus.

Today’s questions come from Paco Vanderdo in Colorado, USA.

He sent 2 questions:

1. What are all the types of Ancient Roman money?
2. How long did the Ancient Roman money last?

Instead of just answering the questions I’ll get a little more specific and do an overview of money in ancient Rome.

Ancient Rome and the beginning of an empire

Ancient Rome is probably the best known empire in the whole world. It is studied in history classes around the world and one can say that no country since the fall of Rome has ever risen to the glory of the Roman Empire.
Ancient Rome was founded in 753 BC (Before Christ) by Romulus and lasted for 2206 years until the fall of Constantinople in 1453 AD.

During such a long time change is inevitable and this is probably the reason why Ancient Rome didn’t have the same kind of money throughout all of its 2206 year history. This would be equivalent to us using the same money as Jesus did.

The first money of ancient Rome – the Cow

While funny, the headline above is very true! During the early days of Rome, money was not invented yet. Just like the rest of the world, the Romans used the bartering system.

This means that when they needed something they simply traded what they had for the thing they wanted. As you probably imagine all this meant a lot of negotiating. To make things a little easier the ancient Romans used cows as the base for their bartering system.

As the small town of Rome developed into a city and then into the Roman Empire the need for a new kind of money suddenly became inevitable.  Cows were great but they were incredibly difficult to transport over long distances.

First Coins in Ancient Rome

About 300 years after the foundation of ancient Rome the Roman Empire had grown to include several of its border territories.

To effectively deal with its trading partners a new system of coins and money was developed. At first the Romans simply started using small chunks of metal. The most common of them all was bronze.

Raw Bronze or Aes Rude

The lumps of bronze were called Aes Rude and they were simply lumps of bronze. The heavier it was the more value it held.

Here is a picture of the ancient roman bronze money, known as Aes Rude.

Aes Rude

Notice how the Aes Rude looks just like a rock. However when you hold it in your hand it feels like metal. None the less it is very difficult for the ordinary person in the present to recognize this form of money from rubble. It is just a piece of bronze that is unprocessed – just how it is found in nature.

First Minted Coins – Aes Signatum

After some time of usage the bronze lumps proved themselves as a great substitute for using cows as money .Bronze proved to be so effective that in no time the Roman government decided to issue stamped bronze coins – the Aes Signatum.

Aes Signatum

Most of the early coins carried pictures of animals and nature. For some unknown reason each of the coins initially weighed about 1.6 kilograms (3.5 pounds). This made them rather heavy. The coins were also all in 1 denomination.

First real coins – Aes Grave or Heavy Bronze

In 267 BC the first coins as we know them today were issued in ancient Rome. They were a lot lighter and in the beginning only weighed about 200-400 grams. As time went on the coins lost more and more weight.

The Aes Grave coins were minted in different denominations – making them a lot easier to use. Usually they depicted animals, ships and gods of ancient Rome.

Aes Grave

Silver and Gold Coins in Ancient Rome

The Ancient Greeks had been using silver and gold coins for a while when Rome took notice and wanted to copy them. Since more valuable, silver and gold allowed to carry larger sums of money more easily than the bronze coins. This meant better and easier trade!

In addition to the bronze coins the Romans came out with 2 additional coins – the denarius (silver coin) and the aureus (gold coin). Since the Romans didn’t have any know-how about making coins from precious metals they employed Greek metal smiths to mint the silver and gold coins for them.

Aureus - the Roman Gold Coin

The gold and silver coins were the first real coins in the sense of their weight. The golden Aureus weighed only 8 grams.

Just like the USA is printing more money each day and thus slowly making the dollar worthless the Romans used to do the equivalent of their time. The value of the gold and silver coins did not come from their weight but it was always their face value – the sum printed on them.

The Romans had a problem that they wanted more coins but they did not have more gold to make more money. What they did was to slowly start making the coins lighter and lighter. At its making the golden Aureus weighed 8 grams, this slowly became 7.3 grams during the reign of Emperor Nero and then later even 6.5 grams.

The case with the silver denarius was even worse. While the denarius was also getting lighter, its silver content was also systematically lessened. In 301 AD  the golden aureus was worth 833.3 silver denari, by 324 AD it was already worth 4350 denari.The runaway inflation was caused by the decision to debase the coin value in order to seemingly pay more money to soldiers.

Money in East Roman Empire the Byzentine

After the fall of the Western Roman Empire in 476 AD (the original Rome) there was still the East Roman Empire or Byzantine that stood for almost another 1000 years. For a complete history of money in the Roman Empire you can check out this article in Wikipedia.

Waiting more questions

It has been fun getting questions from all you guys. Tomorrow I will answer another question. To ask me a question just insert it to the form on the top of the menu on the right. For additional instructions go here.

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10. Vietnam, Hanoi

For most people Vietnam is known for the Vietnam War that took place over 40 years ago but it is also becoming a more popular tourist attraction by the year. As one of the poorest countries in the world Vietnam and its capital city Hanoi are home to a growing number of pickpockets who are on the watch for your money.
Most tourist attractions in Hanoi are located outside in crowded areas so it is very easy to become an unsuspecting target for a pickpocketing master who has probably pickpocketed thousands of people.

Check out the video below to see just how brave some pickpocketers can be in Vietnam.

Technique used to steal your money in Hanoi:
Brute force. A thief can use a moped or a motorbike to steal your handbag while driving. When in Vietnam or other Asian countries  make sure that your handbag is not too easy to snatch. A good idea is to carry your bag on the side where there is less people and traffic.

9. Greece, Athens

Greece and its capital Athens are one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. In addition to a blooming tourist sector the city is also facing a rapid growth in pickpockets who make a living off of unsuspecting tourists.
It doesn’t matter if you are visiting the Parthenon or the Acropolis – make sure you never lose sight of your bags when you are admiring the countless ancient monuments. Someone who seems just like another tourist can be on the hunt for your wallet.

Technique used to steal your money in Athens:
A number of Gypsy children surround you and shamelessly start robbing your things. This boldness will take you by surprise – in the mean time the children pass your things quickly between each other and run in different directions. Your wallet, mobile phone and camera will most probably all go in different directions. Sometimes the children pass your belongings to older women who hide them beneath their clothes. The police won’t look under a skirt!

8. The Netherlands, Amsterdam

The night life in Amsterdam, legal marijuana and the red light district with its countless women are all great but only as long as you still have your money to pay for it all!
The pickpocketers in Amsterdam’s red light district take advantage of the “No camera policy”. No one is allowed to take pictures in the infamous area – this means that there are also no surveillance cameras that could help fight the crime.

A graffiti in Amsterdam

Technique used to steal your money in Amsterdam:
Someone pushes you from behind or from the side making it look like he just wanted to get past you on a busy street.
In reality there is another person on the opposite side who takes advantage of the fact that you are looking the other way to see who pushed you and steals your wallet and belongings.

7. Argentina, Buones Aires

Buenos Aires is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Latin America but it is also a heaven for pickpockets and thieves. Be on the lookout for groups of children following tourists and of course the usual running purse snatchers.

Technique used to steal your money in Buones Aires:
A group of children approach you with a piece of paper or a card with some writing on it. Their leader places the card under your chin to read and while you are focused on the text the other kids go through your belongings.

Below is a video of a pickpocket in action in Argentina

6. Italy, Florence

This renaissance pearl is facing major trouble with pickpockets. As people are losing jobs in the economic downturn more and more are counting on stealing as their primary source of income.

The reason pickpocketing is gathering popularity in Italy is that it is relatively easy to start – if you are beginning your career and get caught, just run away. It is almost certain that no one will follow you – people will be happy that they got to keep their things. After escaping successfully, just try to steal someone else’s wallet – this time you will be a bit smarter and there is a higher chance that you will get away with it!

Pickpocket warning sign in Italy

Technique used to steal your money in Florence:
While you are looking around in the local shops you will focus all your attention towards the goods on sale. A careful pickpocket notices that and gently opens your bag or purse to go through its contents.

5. France, Paris

France and Paris with its elegant Eiffel tower are one of the number 1 tourist attractions in the world. People from all over the world flock up to try out the famous French cuisine and meet the friendly locals. As it turns out – some people can be too friendly!

Technique used to steal your money in Paris:
Attractive young men walk around trying to find female tourists in order to give them a red rose as a present. This will make the lady happy and unsuspecting and she will be an easy target for pickpockets who are teaming up with the handsome young man giving away flowers.

If the thieves don’t find something valuable they might ask you money for the flower. Both ways you are in for an unpleasant surprise.

4. Spain, Madrid

Spain is another European tourist destination that is overpopulated with tourists. In addition to Barcelona holding the top position in our list, the capital Madrid is flooded with pickpockets.

When on your way to a bull fight you better look out – what seems like an ordinary crowd can be a crowd full of people hungry for your wallet!

Technique used to steal your money in Madrid:
Someone with a camera approaches you and asks to take a photo of them. You will drop your bag for a minute in order to take the picture – at the same time someone from behind snatches your bag and runs away

3. Czech Republic, Prague

Czech Republic – the home of cheap beer and all night partying! The capital Prague is known for its popularity among British lads who wish to enjoy the weekend but it is no place to be when you are too drunk and have lost all your friends.

In 2005 the city of Prague ran an ad campaign to notify tourists of pickpockets. Here is what 1 ad looked like:

Here is what a victim had to say about how he lost his money in Prague:

Technique used to steal your money in Prague:
A young women makes eye contact with you on the street. This temporarily gets your attention while you are being robbed by the beautiful girl’s accomplice.

2. Italy, Rome

Pickpockets are an increasing problem in Italy. In addition to Florence (number 6 in our list), Rome is the countries busiest tourist center. But that is not all it is – it is also a heaven for pickpockets. The pickpocketing problem in Rome is so big that it is mentioned in almost all materials intended for tourists. The thieves however are almost never local – they are poor immigrants looking for a way to make a living.

The pickpocketing problem is especially big in public transport. The inner city bus number 64 is known as “the wallet express” – it is the best way to get rid of your money.

Below is a video of pickpockets in action in Italy:

Technique used to steal your money in Rome:
A young gypsy girl or a woman near you will appear to trip and accidentally drop her baby – it almost seems that she throws the baby into your arms.
You reach to save it from falling and in the process drop whatever is currently in your hands. The accomplices quickly pick up whatever you dropped, go through your things and leave.
You will of course realize that instead of a baby you are holding a doll.

1. Spain, Barcelona

Barcelona is the number 1 tourist attraction in Spain! In addition to a number of sights it also has a dozen or so pickpockets for every attraction. If pickpocketing would be on the Olympics, Barcelona would be the definite gold medalist!

When you disregard pickpocketing, Barcelona is a relatively safe place to be. Spanish people are not very fond of drinking, they much more prefer smoking pot – and that makes people sleepy and friendly.

When walking on the famous pedestrian street La Rambla be sure to wear your backpacks in your front. Pickpockets work in teams – 1 person distracts you and another one opens your bag or goes through your pockets. They don’t hesitate to use scissors or a razor to cut their way in!

Technique used to steal your money in Barcelona:
A friendly local notices that your clothes are dirty and offers to provide you with a napkin so that you can clean yourself.
What really happens is that the local himself or his partner in crime has secretly spilled something on you to get your attention. After accepting the napkin and starting to clean yourself your mind is occupied and it becomes easy to go through your bag or your pockets.

What Google Thinks

Below is a screenshot of the places that Google thinks have the most pickpockets! Here is what people usually search for:

It looks that our list is dead on – 8 out of 10 places searched in Google are all somewhat featured in our list. As you can see – pickpocketing tends to be a larger problem in Europe than in anywhere else!