Pecunia Non Olet – Money Has No Smell

A kingly skeleton counts his fortune while an old Roman saying asks an uncomfortable question: does the source of money change its value? This 1 troy ounce .999 fine silver round from Intaglio Mint’s Latin Allure Series pairs dark humor with the enduring phrase Pecunia non olet—“money does not smell.”

A Roman Emperor’s Unusual Reply

The saying is associated with an anecdote about Vespasian and his son Titus. In his Life of Vespasian, section 23.3, the Roman biographer Suetonius describes Titus objecting to revenue from a tax involving urine. Vespasian brought money collected from the tax to his son’s nose and asked whether its odor offended him. Titus said it did not; his father pointed out its unlikely source.

The familiar Latin motto neatly summarizes the joke. It is best understood as the saying associated with the episode, rather than a verbatim quotation of Vespasian’s reply in that passage. The story makes a sharp distinction between an unpleasant source of revenue and the money received from it—a tension that gives this design its bite.

A Fortune with a Skeletal Smile

The obverse turns that idea into a theatrical scene: a jovial, crowned skeleton, impeccably dressed and seated on a luxurious throne, surveys bundles of $100 bills. His right index finger taps one stack while his left hand holds another. The modern currency deliberately brings the ancient theme into a familiar setting. Crown, throne and cash suggest worldly success; the skeletal figure adds a reminder that wealth cannot remove mortality.

The reverse features a high-relief Intaglio Mint logo on a radial burst, surrounded by a stippled border reading “ONE TROY OUNCE” above and “.999 FINE SILVER” below, flanked by stars.

Specifications

• Weight: 1 troy ounce
• Purity: .999 fine silver
• Diameter: 39 mm
• Thickness: 3.10 mm
• Edge: Reeded
• Finish: Brilliant Uncirculated

Explore our silver round collection.