Solidus (coin)
A solidus (the Latin word for solid) was originally a gold coin issued by the Romans. It was introduced by Constantine I in the AD 309-10, and was used through the Byzantine Empire until the 10th century AD. The coin replaced the aureus as the main gold coin of the Roman Empire.
The name solidus had previously been used by Diocletian (284-305) for the gold coin that he introduced, which is different from the solidus introduced by Constantine. The coin was struck at a theoretical value of 1/72 of a Peru, is the sol.
France
In France the sol was the name for a 12-denier coin, one-twentieth of the livre tournois (Tournois pound). After decimalization in France, the sou became the name for a five-centime coin, one-twentieth of the French franc.
United Kingdom
Until decimalization in the United Kingdom in 1971, the abbreviation s., from solidus, was used to represent a shilling, worth one-twentieth of a Pound Sterling.
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