Cut coin for use as a weight

[Alisdair]

Hi Guys, I recently bought this cut coin. It weighs 4.37 g and measures 12 mm across. I'm assuming it was used as a Nomisma weight.

What do you think the original coin was? The bust look like Trajan, but I may be wrong...

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on this.

[Pekka K]

Possibly one of this series:

Trajan. AD 98-117. Æ As (7.81 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 115-116. IMP CAES NER TRAIANO OPTIMO AVG GERM, radiate and draped bust right / DAC PARTHICO P M TR POT XX COS VI P P, oak wreath around S • C. RIC II 647.

Pekka K

[quadrans]

Hi Guys, I recently bought this cut coin. It weighs 4.37 g and measures 12 mm across. I'm assuming it was used as a Nomisma weight.

What do you think the original coin was? The bust look like Trajan, but I may be wrong...

Anyway, I'd be happy to hear your thoughts on this.

Nice piece...

 

 Q.

[SC]

Very nice piece.  Nice portrait of Trajan.  As usual Pekka has nailed the identification.

It seems to have been a common practice in the East to cut coins down for weights.  You can find not only Roman but also Byzantine and Arab coins cut down to nice even squares.

Shawn 

[quadrans]

Hi all,

 This is another piece..

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-94913

 Regards
 Q.

[Basil]

If you are interested in these weights, then you can find approx. 200 examples as follows:

Klaus Weber: "Late Antiquity Weights" - The second Life of Antique and Late Antiquity Coins
2014, 135 pages, ISSN 1430-1881/No. 16-May 2014

Basil

[Alisdair]

Many thanks for your help Pekka. I also saw that there's a semis with a similar design...but if my calculations are right, the As is probably the right size to cut down to a 4.5g weight.

I'll try to get my collection of weights in order these next few days to post them up here.