Commercial Byzantine scale weights and an acorn shaped steelyard weight

A package of scale weights arrived today. It was a long wait for the weights due to export papers. In hand, 3 of the 5 weights match ones in my reference books. One of the weights has a size & letter combination I do not find in my reference books (AR). Another weight was listed as a plumb bob, but I think the acorn was part of a Steelyard scale.

Byzantine Trade Weight Group; 7th-10th century AD

A group of four bronze weights each with an incised cross and two capital letters to one face. Fine condition. I do not have a reference for the symbols on the largest weight. They could be flower decorations or a symbol to identify the person who issued the weights.

From inscriptions, the four weights are:

1.       Quadrans, 3 ounces, Γ· Γ; (81.9 grams std per Bendall1) 

2.       Sextans, 2 ounces, Γ Β; (54.6 grams std per Bendall)

3.       Uncia, 1 ounce, Γ A; (27.2 grams std per Bendall)

4.       Uncia, 1 ounce, A R; (letters not in Bendall, Hendin2 or Kisch3)

           

#	Denomination	Weight Grams	Dimension mm	On Weight
1	Quadrans, 3 ounce	73.25	34-33-8 LWT	Γ· Γ
2	Sextans, 2 ounce	45.75	30.5-29.5-6.5 LWT	Γ Β
3	Uncia, 1 ounce	26.53	24.5 – dia 7.5 tall	Γ A
4	Uncia, 1 ounce	27.53	22 wide 8.2 tall	A R

Roman Acorn Weight - Scale or Mason's Plumb Bob?

Roman Acorn Weight, 1st-3rd century AD – It could be a scale weight or a Mason's Plumb Bob. A similar weight was found with a steelyard scale by archaeologists operating in the ancient city of Nea Paphos on Cyprus.⁴

A mason's plumb bob weight in the form of an acorn, bronze shell made in two parts (the acorn cap & nut), details added to the cap, rectangular suspension loop above; lead core, small tip below. Part of the bronze shell and lead filling are missing. Someone attempted to remove the cap.

136 grams

52mm tall with 27mm diameter cap and 23mm diameter nut

Fair condition, part of casing absent.

Provenance - Property of a Basingstoke, Hampshire, UK, collector; found Hampshire, UK.

1.  Byzantine Weights, an Introdudtion by Simon Bendall - the table on pg. 8 lists weights as either commercial or coin. He also breaks weights by time period: Roman to Byzantine. These weights have Γ· which puts them in the commercial Byzantine category.
2. Ancient Scale Weights by David Hendin
3. Scales and Weights by Bruno Kisch
4. A bronze steelyard with an acorn-shaped counterweight from the Paphos Agora, by Maciej Wacławik; Studies in Ancient Art and Civilization 20

Roma Wheel As Crawford 24.3

Roma Wheel As 

Crawford 24.3, 265 to 242 BC

the seller's pic, mine are not better, but here they are

My wife's scarf as a background.

Roman Republican AE Cast As, Roma/Wheel series, Rome, c. 265-242 BC.

Obv - Head of Roma right, wearing Phrygian helmet with pinnate crest; behind, mark of value I, set horizontally.

Rev - Six-spoked wheel; between two spokes, I.

References, I have several for cast bronze.

Cr, RRC          24/3     265 to 242 BC; wt std = 270 grams

Gr,  BMCRR  -

RSC / Bab      - I could not find the coin in Babelon. 

BMC, Italy      pg 53, #2

T&V                31        269 to 240 BC

Vecchi ICC     66        230 BC; Rome; wt std 270 grams

Syd, CRR       59        8 – extremely rare

Syd, AG          86        pl 11, #4

Syd collection 112

Sear, RCV       525

HN Italy          326.

Haeb.               pl. 24,4-10; average weight of 44 examples = 271.31

Garrucci          T. XXXIX, #3

Kircheriano     T. VIII, #2

204.48 grams

66.0 mm

12 H 

RR.

A light example. Very rare. Lovely earthen emerald green patina. Good VF/About EF.

Below are size and weight data from internet searches (eem) and from Haeberline. 

	eem data	Hab data
Weight	204.48	271
Weight - max	282.20	307.7
Weight - min	204.40	228.2
Weight - avg	239.7	271
Weight - st dev	23.3
Number	14	44
Diameter - max	66
Diameter - min
Diameter - max	66.0
Diameter - min	60.0
Diameter - avg	61.8
Diameter - st dev	2.2

Grade, eem gVF   Grade, seller gVF / EF Centering well centered Strike nice casting with good features Flan flaws none Style typical Patination I see brown, seller said emerald green

A Roman Republican oddity - Quadrans with Mercury

Mercury / Prow RR Quadrans

Crawford 97/13d, 211-208 BC

Roman Republic, anonymous AE Quadrans, Luceria,  ca. 211-208 BC.

Obv - Head of Mercury on the right, above three dots °°°, below L. (I am not sure about the L below Mercury. I will look closer when I have the coin in hand.) The L seems out of place according to BMCRR. Grueber notes that the form of L changes from archaic to our current one in his 3^rd period, 196 – 173 BC. The examples I have found on line have archaic Ls. Mine does not look to be archaic. I there are two different busts of Mercury and dot locations. The coins with two dots to the left of Mercury’s hat wing have a longer, Jimmy Durantee style, nose. My coin has two dots to the right and a shorter, but still Roman, nose.

Rev – Prow of Roman warship facing right, above ROMA with archaic A, In Ex – three dots °°°

Weight = 10.51 grams

Diameter = 23.3 mm

BB

R

Attributions: 

Cr. 97 / 5c or 13d, have similar descriptions with lower weight for 13. I think mine is a 13.

BMCRR – Italy _ _ , Grueber assignes no number to the Hercules / prow coin shown between Italy #6 & Italy #7. There is no description in the main text for a Quadrans with Mercury, but one is mentioned in the notes. Grueber II pg 147 in footnote 3: “D’Ailly (Mon rom, pl. civ., nos. 4, 5) figures two quadrantes with the obverse type of the sextans, i.e. bust of Mercury…. which must be due to a blunder on the part of the die engraver. “

Syd - 127

RBW – 401

Garrucci – pg. 69, Table LXXXI #3, see note 1 below.

Note 1: 

In Italian:

Nel Kirch.

Bronzo coi tipi del sestante romano dato per quadrante: sotto al collo del Mercurio v'e un L, sopra vi sono i tre blobetti; e nel riverso ROMA e vi si pipetone i tre globetti. Il suo peso e di gr. 10. L'ha dato anche il bar. d'Ailly (Recherches, pl. CIV, 4, 5), e l'ebbe nella sua collezione il Lovatti. Lucera si e servita del sestante romano elevandolo al balore di tre calchi deboli (cf. Muler, Anc. Aft. vol I. Pag. 123),

Translated to English on line:

In the Kirch.

Bronze with the types of the Roman sextans given for quadrans: under the neck of Mercury there is an L, above are the three dots; and on the reverse is a prow right, above ROMA and in ex – three dots. Its weight is gr. 10. The bar also gave it. d'Ailly (Recherches, pl. CIV, 4, 5), and had it in his collection Lovatti. Lucera used the Roman sextant raising it to the height of three weak casts (cf. Muler, Anc. Aft. Vol. Pag. 123),

Pictured above is a drawing from Le Monete Dell'Italia Antica, G Garrucci.

Shown above are examples of the Cr.97/5c, from acsearch, Roma. The top one I call the Durante version.

Some more cut coins

I recently bought a few more cut coins. The first two pics were sold as cut Roman coins. It looks like most are Roman Imperial, but there is little to see on most of them. Based on the coin flans, I think a few are RR cut Asses. The only partial attributed is a coin of Severus Alexander with someone standing on the back in the lower left hand corner. I may try soaking a few to remove some of the dirt. You can see just shaking the coins dislodged some dirt / rust that shows as spots on the 2nd pic.
Note that there are neat 1/2 coins, a few 1/4 coins and several that look like they were cut into 1/3rds. At least one looks like a seal, but I will not know until I do a SpGr test.

I thought my less than full coin binge was done until I received an email from a dealer closing shop. The closest to my collecting area are the two below.

Half As Nimes crocodile and Augustus

As de Nimes; fractured half for change in antiquity for use as change.

Nicely transacted to preserve the crocodile and the portrait of Augustus.

6.32 g.13.9 x 25.3 cm.

Roman Lode on V-Coins, 3/30/19

Worn half As de Nimes

Worn half As de Nimes

6.26g, 13.1 x 26.3mm.

Roman Lode on V-Coins, 3/30/19

My next coin will be uncut, or exceptional.

Ancient cut coins, Half Asses, man headed bull, Julius Caesar, Octavian and winged horses

I recently won a lot of cut coins to add to my growing collection. I have a box of 50 not well defined Roman Imperial coins headed my way. The collection:

Obverse

Reverse

Left side of page - 
The upper left hand section is Roman Republican bronze coins, presumably Asses. They are worn and encrusted enough that they are hard to impossible to read. I use these coins when I show non coin collectors a coin from 150 BC.

The three coins below the top 7 are -

• The left coin is an As. My best date guess is 175 to 100 BC due to the form of the letter A.
• The middle coin is an As: C. Vibius C.f. Pansa. 90 BC. (25.0 X 17.1 mm, 6.43g, 1h). Rome mint. Laureate head of bearded Janus; I (mark of value) above / 3 Prows right; [ROMA] above; [I] (mark of value) to right; [C•]VIBI•PAN (PAN ligate) below. Crawford 342/7e, BMCRR Rome 2319 - 2320  
• The right coin is a bronze of Octavian. A better pic is here:

Ottavian, Bronze (denomination not on coin), Italy 38 B.C.

Obv - Portrait of Octavian facing right, behind - DIVI F, the coin should have either a comet or CAESAR to the right.  

Rev – [DI]VOS / [IVL]IV[S] within laurel wreath. Part of the legend in off the flan, and the letter S in IVLIVS is missing. Most coins of this type have the S, but the example shown in Sear (RR & 12C) is missing the last S also.

12.06 grams

31.6 X 19 mm

Coin broken in two in antiquity.

Crawford 535/2.

BMCRR Gaul 108-10.

Sear 1570 – the coin pictured in Sear has a reverse legend DIVOS / IVLIV (no S)

Sear Imperators 309.

Sydenham 1336.

Babelon Julia 101.

The last coin on the left column is a Roma / Prow semiuncia with a jagged flan.

Middle of page - 

The top 8 coins are Julius Caesar and Octavian. There are a few variations in design of the coin, so they may have different RPC numbers. 

Greek Coins Under Roman Rule, Gallia, Vienne

C. Julius Caesar and Octavianus. Sestertius, about 36 BC head of Caesar L, head of Octavian R; Prow of ship. RPC I, 152, 517.  

The bottom 3 are Augustus and Agrippi / Crocodile coins. 

Right side of page - 

top left of this column is a cut Roman Republican; Roma / Dioscuri denarius. The mark of value, X, is behind Roma on the obverse. There are no visible symbols or letters on the reverse,  1.61 grams, 17.2 mm.

The top right coin is plated Manheaded coin. A thin layer of silver covers a bronze core.

Greek Coins, Campania, Neapolis; less than half of a Didrachm circa 320-300, plated coin 2.52 grams, 18.3 X 10.1 mm. Obv - Diademed head of the nymph R, Rev - Man-headed bull walking R., head facing; above, Nike flying r. to crown him. Historia Numorum Italy 57x

The top coin is a Spanish half unit from a lot of Caesar provisional coins shown in the middle section. The next three coins issued by Nero were my most recent lot purchase. Attribution are below. 

The coins top to bottom:

•  SPAIN, Emporia. 

SPAIN, Emporia. 25 BC. Æ As

Obv - Helmeted head of Athena right, border dots, other features that may have been on the coin are missing

Rev - Pegasus leaping right, border dots, other features that may have been on the coin are missing

3.8 grams if the coin is 40% of the original, the original would have been 9.5 grams.

27.4 X 15.0 mm

- SNG BM Spain 520 – 523 are similar and about the right weight
- Ancient Coinage of the Iberian Peninsula, Villaronga & Benages – the best matches are - 1077, 1079, 1088, 1091; total examples are #1061 – 1100
- RPC 251, 252

• I have not identified this coin, but seller said Nero.
• Nero, this coin is close. I found it by searching for bronze, Nero & harp. The letters still on the coin match.

NERO (54-68), AE as, 65, Lyon.

Right: NERO [CLAVD CAESAR AVG] GERMANICVS Head left. Globe at the tip of the neck.

Reverse: PONTIF MAX- TR POT IMP PP / S-C Nero l. and draped in Apollo, walking to the right, playing the lyre.

Ref .: BMC 274, 377; RIC 417.

5.35 grams

29.9 X 14.9 mm the eyeball test says this is 40% of the original, but the diameter and height say it is close to half.

Nero, this coin is close. I found this coin be serching for bronze, Nero and shield.The letters matched.

Nero. AD 54-68, Æ As, Lugdunum (Lyon) mint, 67 AD.               

Obv - Bare head right, [with globe at point of bust], [???]CAESARAVGONAX[???]

Rev - Victory flying left, holding shield inscribed [S P Q] R, [S] & C to left and right of Victory

4.53 grams

27.6 X 13.2 mm

RIC I 543; WCN 593.

Recent lot purchase.

1 Ro,am Republican As

3 Nero bronzes

lor purchased in 2017

2 Julius / Octavian

3 Augustus - Agripi / crocodile

1 Spanish 

Pre-Coin Roman Money my display at The 62nd HOUSTON MONEY SHOW

I have been interested in how Rome paid their soldiers at Veii about a century before they started producing coins. Info from my display on the subject is below.

Pre-Coin Roman Money 

Roman "money" from 1000 to 390 BC, or how did Rome pay their soldiers at Veii in 400 BC if they started producing coins in 300 BC?

GHCC Money Show
January 17 – 19, 2019
rrdenarius.com

Rome paid soldiers for the first time at Veii about 400 BC. Before that extended campaign soldiers paid their expenses. Only moneyed men could fight, and collect glory and spoils. 

Servius Tullius, the 6th king of Rome, reigned from 575 to 535 BC.He divided Roman citizens into Classes by wealth. The top class of citizen was required to have 100,000 asses where one As equaled a Roman pound = 327 grams. This level of wealth put a man in the equites or knights. Something was used for money before coins introduced in 280 BC.


Bronze was used for money. It seems likely that steelyard scales would have been used. They are better for weighing heavy items than the double pan balance.

The following quotes are from Livy - 

[Titus Livius in his History of Rome spoke on this.
Ab urbe condita 4.59   "... the senate decreed that the soldiery should receive pay from the public treasury. Previously, each man had served at his own expense.“
Ab urbe condita 4.60   "... The senators were determined to uphold a measure so happily inaugurated, they were themselves the first to contribute, and as coined money was not yet introduced, they carried the copper by weight in wagons to the treasury, thereby drawing public attention to the fact of their contributing. After the senators had contributed most conscientiously the full amount at which they were assessed, the leading plebeians, personal friends of the nobles, began, as had been agreed, to pay in their share. When the crowd saw these men applauded by the senate and looked up to by the men of military age as patriotic citizens, they hastily rejected the proffered protection of the tribunes and vied with one another in their eagerness to contribute." ]

http://www.the-romans.eu/books/Ab-urbe-condita-4.php

The first two pictures show one week's pay (about 15 US pounds) in bronze bars, cakes and panes. Two of the bars are Ramo Secco. The largest is 2.2 Kg. The bars are weighed on a Steelyard Scale. 

Cupid is my favorite Steelyard Scale weight. It was not heavy enough to weigh the bronze bars.

The two pan scale has four weights: 1 As, VI (six) VNCIA, III (three) VNCIA and one uncia (the last weight is later and has letters to designate one Roman ounce) = 600 grams.  

The bar in the right pan is one with a mark (X).

I will post a coin on the next page. That coin is from the first series assigned to Rome and is dated 280 BC, or a century plus before the war with Veii.

What is Money? According to D. B. Holland in "Money in the Late Roman Republic" it is:

Something used as:

•Medium of exchange: recognized by many to have value, facilitates trade; examples: land, cattle, sheep, bullion, shells, etc.

•Measure of value: to determine equivalent trade value, ie – how many eggs equal a modius of flour

•Unit of account: to balance books, determine tax rate, set social standing for senate & army (see below)

•Store of wealth, needs to be something that is: “small”, will hold value, will not degrade with time

•Means of payment: pay soldiers and other military expenses, pay taxes, buy (luxury) goods from outside community

By this definition, the cast bronze is money and thus worthy of a display at the Money Show! Some early bronze shapes were shown in the flat coin case.

•Aes Rude - Molten bronze cooled in water

•Broken plates or panes

•Aes Formatum – Ingots, bars and pieces

–With and without marks, Ramo Seco

•Shells

•Astralagas, knuckle bones

•Broken tools: knife blade, ax

Note the pic below has a piece of a knife blade and two axes.

•Decorative Shapes: rings, palmetto, tear drop, bars, acorns, etc.

The shapes are above. Below are some aes rude with marks.

I will post a coin on the next page from the first series issued in Rome.