A weight question

[wileyc]

So i was looking at this weight the other day......

14.8 g, lead with reverse large inlay S

Why the Reverse S, did the inlayer? is that a word? get reversed and inscribe backwards?

But the weight of 14.8 does not easily breakdown in the usual common 6 weight units, Roman or Byzantine.

The only one is a semisextula which is considered 1/12 of a Unica and weighs around 2.28g, I do not have any references for this weight variation

That would make it 6 semisextula of 2.46g

Any thoughts would be entertained!


CW

 

[glebe]

Possibly a Hellenistic half ounce - 1/32 of the Phoenician/Attic mina of 455 gm.
The S looks to have added, maybe to reuse it as a Roman half-ounce.

Ross G.

[wileyc]

Ross,

Yes that was in the back of my mind as a consideration, it is much more consistent with Hellenistic weights.

cw

[Basil]

Hi wileyc
congratulations, your weight ist a late roman/early byzantine 1/2 argyrike ounce with little overweight.
Turn the weight 90 ° clockwise and you will see a sign which is wave-like (never the character S).
This sign stands for 1/2. ( see standard literature). Apart from the argyrike ounce please compare it with the
logarike ounce and the soyalia ounce. The argyrike ounce based on a weight standard of approx. 28,2 g dated
4th-6th ct. A.D.
For further information don't hesitate to contact me again

regards
Basil

[quadrans]

Hmm,

Interesting weight..
Congratulation.

Q.

[glebe]

This a lead weight so I think it's more likely Hellenistic/early Roman, rather than Byzantine.

Ross G.