Antiquities Discussion Forums > Seals and Tesserae

pre-monetary bronce?

(1/2) > >>

antvwala:
I bought this very particular bronze, with an intact patina, at the end of the 70s in Barcelona, from the well-known merchant Calico. The vendor described it as a pre-monetary form. It comes from Catalunya and should be from the 5th century BC. It measures 24mm in height and weighs 8.88g.
The denomination "pre-monetary object" is very vague and debatable.
What could it really be? A pre-monetary form or a decoration?
Thank you.

djmacdo:
A small bronze ingot of indeterminate form.

antvwala:
In reality the shape is well defined: the head of a sheep (pecus) and this is consistent with a pre-monetary use (pre-pecunia)

antvwala:
Also these bronze objects, of very different weights and dimensions, as well as an infinite number of rings of every shape, are given on ACSearch as pre-monetary objects, with the denomination of "aes formatum". But are they really it?
Many years ago, these objects were discussed in the Italian section of the FAC and I was inclined not to consider them pre-monetary objects. However I see that in many emblazoned auction lists they are offered as such and I doubt that they really can be...

Joe Sermarini:
The first three objects in the top row... I have had consignors send similar to me, but I have never found any in references I hold, so I rejected them. They may have been used in trade, but I need references. I don't know what they are.

Lead and bronze acorns and lead shells, were definitely used as balance weights.

One consignor has sent me a large number of bronze shells. They were reputedly found long ago in a hoard of bronze alongside Aes rude, Aes formatum, ax heads, etc. I believe all bronze was useable as money for at least a few centuries, from the 5th to the 3rd century B.C., from Spain to Croatia.  It was not quite money, however, because it had to be weighed to determine the value.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page