The Sestertius, or Sesterce, (pl. sestertii) was an ancient Roman coin. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire it was a large brass coin.
The name Sestertius (originally semis-tertius) means "2 ½", the coin's original value in Asses, and is a combination of semis "half" and tertius "third", that is, "the third half" (0 ½ being the first half and 1 ½ the second half) or "half the third" (two units plus half the third unit, or halfway between the second unit and the third). The form Sesterce, derived from French, was once used in preference to the Latin form, but is now considered old-fashioned.
It is abbreviated as a struck-through HS or IIS (Unicode 𐆘).
The Sestertius was introduced c. 211 BC as a small silver coin valued at one-quarter of a Denarius (and thus one hundredth of an Aureus). A silver Denarius was supposed to weigh about 4.5 grams, valued at ten grams, with the silver Sestertius valued at two and one-half grams. In practice, the coins were usually underweight.
Remember the time when we two kin were reared
There was never a morsel but that it was shared
If the one babe was stung, t'was the other would cry
There scarce was a crossed word and never a lie
Our people were drab and defeated like slaves
The light of their fathers went into the graves
I took to the highway to find some relief
I never meant parting to put you to grief
Sisters
We were sisters
'Til love came between us and pulled us apart
We were sisters
We were sisters
Don't call me your sister and put a knife through my
heart
Now you smile when you greet me, you put on a show
But it's slander you're talking as soon as you go
If your eye and my eye don't meet anymore
Hold fast to your tongue when I've walked out the door
Sisters
We were sisters
'Til love came between us and pulled us apart
We were sisters
We were sisters
Don't call me your sister and put a knife through my
heart
You say that I'm different, don't hold me to blame
It's not to my grandeur, it's not to your shame
It's nothing of mine that I lay at your door
So take it or leave it, it's to heal not to sore
Sisters
We were sisters
'Til love came between us and pulled us apart
We were sisters
We were sisters
Don't call me your sister and put a knife through my