Saturday, June 30, 2018

Roman Cupid Steelyard Weight

I have been interested in scales and scale weights for a while. I bought three weights in a recent auction. The best item is one in the form of Cupid. Note the chain is a thick braid formed loops crossed at 90 degree angles.



Antiquities - Roman
Roman Cupid Steelyard Weight
1st-2nd century AD
A bronze steelyard weight comprising a length of trichinopoly chain with hook finial, and a hollow-formed bust of Cupid with small lateral wings to the shoulders, styled hair, wreath to the neck, small nose and pellet eyes.
78.5 grams; the weight is about 65 grams and the chain is about 12 grams
57 mm wing tip to wing tip
60.5 mm tall
22.4 mm thick
150 chain length
17.5 mm S loop
Condition - Fine

Provenance - Property of a British gentleman; formerly in the private collection of Russian businessman Yuri Golubev (1942-2007), some of his collection was published in his book 'Symbols and Images'; acquired on the London art market 1990s-2007.

Literature - Cf. Simpson, G. Roman Weapons, Tools, Bronze Equipment and Brooches from Neuss-Novesiaum Excavations 1955-1972, BAR International Series 862, Oxford, 2000 plate 48 for type.
See pictures from the book by Simpson of a steelyard scale with a head of Bacchus below. Note the scale below is larger: weight 2160 grams (about 20X) and height 115 mm (about 2X), or over 20 times heavier for 2 times the size. This is due to lead filling. 







A second weight was listed as an Iron Age Celtic Steelyard Weight with Bust. This weight fits inside the Cupid weight.





Antiquities - Celtic Iron Age
Iron Age Celtic Steelyard Weight with Bust
1st century BC-1st century AD
A bronze weight with discoid base, shank formed as a crude male bust with loop above.
16 grams
21.6 mm tall, including loop
18.4 X 19.3 mm base diameter, not quite circular
The head is 10.7 mm wide and 12.3 mm from tip of nose to back of head
Condition - Fine
Provenance - Property of a British gentleman; formerly in the private collection of Russian businessman Yuri Golubev (1942-2007), some of his collection was published in his book 'Symbols and Images'; acquired by auction on 16 October 2006; accompanied by a copy of the listing.

A few of the other weights are shown below.
The top left lead weight could be a fishing sinker, scale weight, plumb bob, loom weight or something else. My guess is loom weight.
The top middle, acorn shaped weight Acorn Weight is 46 X 15 mm and weighs 29 grams. It could be a plumb bob or steelyard scale weight. like the one below found near Cyprus.

The upper right weight has a geometric pattern, weighs 300+ grams and is 37 mm tall by 39 mm diameter. It has a bronze shell and lead filling.
The lower right weight has what looks like a portrait of a LRB (Late Roman Bronze coin). It weighs 380 grams and is 74 X 34 X 22 mm.

I think the middle lead piece is a scale weight, but could be a votive offering.

Sunday, June 10, 2018

SpGr to estimate the gold content of electrum

Brutium Punic 3/8th Shekel
216 – 211 BC




I made some home SpGr estimates and conclude my coin is probably electrum! The % gold was taken from a conversion table in Jenkins & Lewis, Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins, pg 63. I made 5 series of weight measurements. First I measured the coin dry. Next I used Teflon dental floss to tie the coin on a string. I filled a small cup with water, placed the cup on my scale and zeroed the scale. I then held the coin in the cup, under water, without letting it touch the sides. To “confirm” my test, I tested one buffalo nickel, two Roman Republican denarii and one silver nugget.

SpGr = Wt of coin in air / Wt of coin in water




My results:


Coin
SpGr
% Gold
Wt, air
Wt, water
Bruttium Punic 3/8th shekel, test 1
11.95
27.0
2.51
0.210
Bruttium Punic 3/8th shekel, test 2
11.41
17.2
2.51
0.220
Bruttium Punic 3/8th shekel, test 3
10.96
9.0
2.52
0.230
Bruttium Punic 3/8th shekel, test 4
11.38
16.6
2.56
0.225
Bruttium Punic 3/8th shekel, test 5
12.05
28.5
2.53
0.210
Buffalo Nickel
8.68
4.86
0.560
Denarius, MN.CORDIVS RVFVS, Cr 463/1; #1
9.97
3.79
0.380
Denarius, MN.CORDIVS RVFVS, Cr 463/1; #2
10.20
3.62
0.355
Silver nugget
10.12
6.88
0.680



SpGr
% Gold
Wt, air
Wt, water
11.95
27.0
2.51
0.210
11.41
17.2
2.51
0.220
10.96
9.0
2.52
0.230
11.38
16.6
2.56
0.225
12.05
28.5
2.53
0.210
8.68

4.86
0.560
9.97

3.79
0.380
10.20

3.62
0.355
10.12

6.88
0.680


 Note that the test is sensitive to the weight in water measurement. This may below where my scale gives good results. I think the results are good enough to say my coin is electrum. 

Metal
SpGr
gold
19.32
silver
10.49
Copper
8.96
Lead
11.34
Electrum
12.17


The description below is from the previous post with a few changes. 

BRUTTIUM, Carthaginian occupation. Circa 216-211 BC. EL 3/8 Shekel

Based on one letter at 12 on obverse, may be struck over another coin???
Obv - Janiform female heads, wearing wreaths of grain
Rev - Zeus, holding thunderbolt in right hand, scepter in left, standing in quadriga right, driven by Nike, who holds reins.
2.5 g
14.7 X 15.9 mm
12 h
F, light gray / yellow tone, well worn or poorly struck. Rare.

References (note I have the first 4 books, I do not see the coin in Crawford): Two links with more info are below.
Jenkins & Lewis, Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins, Group XVI, numbers 487 - 493 (Capua)
1.  J&L mention 47 coins tabulated by Bahrfeldt in Die romische Goldmunzpragung.
2.  SpGr for the 8 coins in Group XVI ranges from 11.99 to 12.34. One coin was mentioned in an addenda that was SpGr = 11.92 and 27%. (Somewhere I read, but can not find now, that the %gold            dropped into the teens late in the war)
HN Italy 2013
Grueber, BMCRR – Romano Campanian Coinage, Half Stater, No 145 – 149
Sear Greek Coins, Vol 1 Europe, 287

SNG Copenhagen 357
Robinson, Punic p. 40 (Capua)
SNG ANS 146 (Capua)





Tuesday, June 5, 2018

Brutium Punic 3/8th Shekel or is it?



I picked up an unidentified coin at a recent show. It was described as a drachm or hemidrachm. It is 2.5 grams and 15.9 mm with a 12 die axis. The coin looks like a Brutium Punic 3/8th Shekel, but my coin looks to be silver, and looks to be struck over another coin??? The yellow in the pic below is probably due to my camera skills and not a true color.



Brutium Punic 3/8th Shekel, 216 – 211 BC

The following assumes the coin is a fraction of a 3/8th of a shekel issued by Carthage and used in Bruttium during the Rome’s 2nd war with Carthage.

BRUTTIUM, Carthaginian occupation. Circa 216-211 BC. EL (Silver?) 3/8 Shekel
Based on one letter at 12 on obverse, may be struck over another coin???
Obv - Janiform female heads, wearing wreaths of grain
Rev - Zeus, holding thunderbolt in right hand, scepter in left, standing in quadriga right, driven by Nike, who holds reins.
2.5 g
14.7 X 15.9 mm
12 h
F, light gray / yellow tone, well worn or poorly struck. Rare.

Jenkins & Lewis, Carthaginian Gold and Electrum Coins, Group XVI, numbers 487 - 493 (Capua)
   1.  J&L mention 47 coins tabulated by Bahrfeldt in Die romische Goldmunzpragung.
   2.  J&L give % gold for one coin = 27% (somewhere I read, but can not find now, that the %gold            dropped into the teens late in the war)
HN Italy 2013
Grueber – Romano Campanian Coinage, Half Stater, No 145 – 149
Sear Greek Coins, Vol 1 Europe, 287
SNG Copenhagen 357.
Robinson, Punic p. 40 (Capua);
SNG ANS 146 (Capua);

Anyone have any experience with these?