Thursday, November 7, 2019

An interesting Roman bronze barrel weight collection

An interesting barrel weight collection arrived this week. I bought the lot because it has a one Roman pound weight with AA. I have a few 1 pound weights, see next post, but this one is probably the oldest.

 top row: 1 As, 1 Semis, 1 Semis (oldest)


Gerhard Hirsch Nachfolger's pic

BALANCES AND WEIGHTS
Late antique Byzantine. According to Bendall, two of the weights are Roman and 8 of the weights are late Roman to early Byzantine. The earlier weights indicate denominations in VNCIA (ounces). The later weights use Greek letters and monograms. ૪ = OY in monogram, OY is an abbreviation for ΟΥΝΓΓΙΑ = UNCIA or ounce. When paired with ૪ the weight denominations are:
     ૪A = 1 ounce
     ૪B = 2 ounces
      Γ = 3 ounces
     C = 6 ounces, I do not have the symbol to type here.

Lot of 10 bronze barrel weights, 8 inlaid with silver, denominations: 1/8th uncia (ounce) to one Libra (Roman pound).  
See dimensions below. Height = 7 to 33 mm. Diameter = 9 to 43 mm. 
Most have intact silver 

Since the early 1980s in German private collection.





I bought the lot for this one pound weight. The lettering has good silver and the weight (327.7) is very close to the roman pound standard (327.45).


The lot has two half pound weights. I think the second letter on the left is a lower case Zeta, the 6th letter in the Greek alphabet. It would read 6 ounces.
I bought this half pound weight a few years ago. I think it looks better than the two from this lot that were cleaned and retoned (I think).

#
Denomination
Wt Gr
Eq Ass
Dimension
H X D, mm
On
Weight
Bendall
1
As or Libra,
12 ounce
327.7
32.8 X 43.2
A A
23, 27
2
Semis,
6 ounce
155.4
(311)
26.7 X 34.5
VNC
VNV

3
Semis,
6 ounce
163.0
(326)
28.5 X 33.9
  C
23, 28
= OY in monogram
4
Quadrans,
3 ounce
82.6
(330)
20.5 X 26.5
Γ
23
5
Sextans,
2 ounce
46.9
(281)
18.9 X 22.5
Β
31
6
Uncia,
1 ounce
25.1
(301)
14.5 X 18.3
A
23, 33
7
Uncia,
1 ounce
26.5
(318)
13.0 X 18.7
VNI
VNV

8
Semiuncia,
½ ounce
12.5
(300)
11.3 X 15.1
I B

9
Sicilius,
¼ ounce
6.6
(317)
9.7 X 11.6
C
1.5 Solidus
10
?,
1/8 ounce
3.3
(317)
7.2 X 9.4
Γ
Half Solidus
3 Grammata

Greek alphabet

3 ounce

2 ounce, note the odd shaped B

two 1 ounce weights
I read the right one: VN I.

I do not know the symbols on the left.

Two semis weights and a semis coin.
One sextans weight and a sextans coin.

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