Legal Definitions - numerata pecunia

numerata pecunia is a historical Latin term that refers to money that has been physically counted out and paid. It emphasizes the tangible act of transferring funds, typically in the form of coins or cash, as opposed to a promise of payment, a credit arrangement, or a non-physical transfer.

Here are some examples illustrating the concept of numerata pecunia:

• Imagine a scenario in ancient Rome where a farmer sells a cartload of olives to a merchant in the marketplace. The merchant hands over a pouch of silver denarii. The farmer then empties the pouch and carefully counts each coin to ensure the full agreed-upon price has been received. This act of the farmer receiving and counting the physical coins for the transaction is an example of numerata pecunia.

  This illustrates the term because it involves the direct, physical payment and counting of money for goods, confirming the transfer of tangible funds.

• Consider a Roman soldier receiving their monthly stipend from a paymaster. The paymaster would lay out a specific number of coins on a table, and the soldier would verify the count before collecting their wages. This direct distribution and verification of physical currency between the paymaster and the soldier represents numerata pecunia.

  This example highlights the concept in the context of wages, where the money is explicitly counted and handed over to the recipient.

• In a historical legal dispute over a debt, if a borrower claimed they had repaid a loan, they might need to prove that the lender had received the numerata pecunia. This would mean demonstrating that the actual coins or currency were physically transferred and counted by the lender, rather than just a verbal agreement or a promise of future payment.

  Here, the term emphasizes the legal significance of the physical act of payment and counting, crucial for proving that a financial obligation was truly discharged with tangible funds.