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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Themes & Provenance| ▸ |Denominations| ▸ |Tesserae||View Options:   | | | Tesserae (singular: tessera) are ancient tokens. Most were made from lead, but other materials including bronze, bone, ivory, clay, glass and wood were also used. They were used as tickets for theaters, gladiator fights, ferry passage and even brothels. Tesserae liberalitatis were distributed as gifts by the Roman emperor or local government, often to the poor, and used as vouchers to exchange for grain, oil, or other goods. Some ancient lead "tokens" may have been used as small change coinage. |
Gnosticism is a collection of religious ideas and systems that coalesced in the late 1st century A.D. among Jewish and early Christian sects. These various groups emphasized personal spiritual knowledge above the teachings, traditions, and authority of religious institutions. This specimen is inscribed with the name IAW (Iao in English) on the obverse (a Greek vocalization of the Tetragrammaton - i.e. YHWH or Yahweh) and possibly CABAW (Sabao in English) on the reverse. In explaining the latter name and comparing it to the first, Gert Boersema has this to say in his 2022 KOINON V paper: "Appearing on a smaller, but still relatively large number of amulets (19 examples) is the name Sabaoth (Σαβαωθ), often spelled without theta, Sabao. It derives from an epithet of the God of Israel 'of Hosts,' earthly or heavenly. By Roman imperial times, Sabaoth was also conceived as a separate divine being."AS114964. Lead amulet, apparently an unpublished variant; cf. Boersema IAA 37 (letters in obv. field reversed; dif. rev. inscription?), gF, oxide patina, earthen deposits, bumps and scratches, rev. weakly inscribed on mold, tiny remnant of casting sprue, weight 3.125 g, maximum diameter 16.1 mm, eastern workshop, 3rd - 4th century A.D.; obverse hand, 'A' on palm, flanked by W-I, (Greek inscription: IAW), all within dotted border; reverse Greek inscription: [C]ABA/W (or similar), within dotted border; ex Sol Numismatik auction XXIII (13 Jan 2024), lot 1191; very rare; $140.00 (€131.60) ON RESERVE
Roman Egypt, c. 1st - 3rd Century A.D.
According to Milne, lead tesserae served as local small change in Egypt during the first to the third century A.D.
Euthenia is the personification of abundance or plenty. To the Romans she was Abundantia. Her attributes are heads of grain and the cornucopia. She can be seated or standing and is sometimes shown emptying a cornucopia.
In Denise Wilding's unpublished 2020 thesis, Tokens and communities in the Roman provinces: an exploration of Egypt, Gaul and Britain, she describes an Egyptian tessera similar to our piece with the date LZ in the exergue, found in an ancient shipwreck off the Carmel coast at Haifa (Israel). According to her source, an article published in ‘Atiqot 63 (2010) by Ya‘akov Meshorer, the wreck "contained a hoard of 162 coins," comprising "68 denarii, along with three [silver] provincial coins, three Alexandrian billon, 85 bronze coins and three [lead] tokens." Meshorer dated the coins within the period 20 B.C - A.D. 235. For Wilding, the presence of the tesserae (2 Egyptian and a 4th century B.C. Athenian[!]) was hard to interpret, especially the Athenian token, which would already have been ancient at the time of the shipwreck. However, it should be noted that throughout history, shipping vessels needed ballast onboard when there was not enough cargo, for stability. Oftentimes, such ballast would consist of nothing more than large amounts of dirt likely procured at different ports. Depending on the source, the soil could be littered with a wide variety of discarded or lost items, including coins and tokens.RX114008. Lead tessera, Emmett 4325.6 (R5), cf. Milne 5397 - 5400 (diff. years, in ex.), Dattari-Savio 11623 (LB, in ex.), Weiser -, F, well centered, holed, with attractive splashes of yellow deposits and/or oxides across fields and in hole, weight 3.796 g, maximum diameter 18.5 mm, die axis 270o, uncertain Egyptian mint, c. 1st - 3rd century A.D; obverse Nilus reclining left, holding palm frond in his right hand and cornucopia in his left; to left, drooping lotus flower; reverse Euthenia reclining left, holding three grain ears in her right hand and cornucopia in her left, pomegranate or child's head(?) above right arm; to left, Genius (or another child) standing right (mostly obstructed by hole), raising their right hand and holding staff over left shoulder, Lς (year 6 of an uncertain era) upper left; very rare; $110.00 (€103.40) ON RESERVE
Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C.
Lead tesserae (tokens) were issued by the monarch to the poor to be redeemed for food and other commodities. Meshorer reports the lead tesserae of Alexander Jannaeus are found almost exclusively in TransjordanJD110536. Lead tessera, Hendin 6192 (S), Meshorer TJC M, Meshorer AJC D, HGC 10 645, aF, heavy example, weight 5.154 g, maximum diameter 18.0 mm, Transjordan mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse Aramaic inscription: King Alexander Year 25, anchor (upside-down as if hanging on the side of a boat) inside circle; reverse traces of Aramaic inscription, King Alexander, with a border of dots; very scarce; $70.00 (€65.80)
Roman Egypt, Arsinoiton polis (Arsinoite Nome), Upper Egypt, 1st - 3rd Century A.D.
The Ptolemies renamed Atef-Pehu (the Krocodilopolitan nome) to Arsinoe and the capital city Krokodopolis (the City of Crocodiles) to Ptolemais Euergetis. In Roman times the nome was the Arsinoiton polis and Krokodopolis was called Arsinoe.RX41298. Lead tessera, Geissen 3495; Dattari 6423; Emmett 4366; Milne -, Fair, weight 4.894 g, maximum diameter 23.9 mm, Arsinoe (Krokodopolis) mint, 1st - 3rd century A.D.; obverse bust of Pharaoh right wearing wig, beard and uraeus (cobra) crown, reed before; reverse APCINOEITWN Φ ΠOΛEWC (retrograde), crocodile right on a pedestal, solar disk above, all within laurel wreath tied at the bottom, legend around within dot border; extremely rare; SOLD
Greek, Lead Tessera or Weight (1.309g), c. 500 - 300 B.C.(?)
This lead piece is a mystery. It may be a tessera or it may be a coin weight. Where and when it was made are uncertain. Facing head of Silenos types are most commonly found on coins from Sicily, Macedonia, Lesbos, and Mysia. The scallop shell is a common type for Italy and Sicily, but was used as a control symbol across the Greek world. If it is a weight, the weight is appropriate for an electrum hemihekte, a type which was struck at Kyzikos with a facing head of Silenos.GB90212. Lead tessera, cf. Scholz Tesserae 597 - 598 (Silenos obverse, blank reverse); roughly rectangular shape, 13.3 x 8.6 mm, 1.309 g, VF, a very attractive and unusual tiny artifact, c. 500 - 300 B.C.(?); obverse head of Silenos facing; reverse incuse scallop shell; ex CNG auction 324, part of lot 670; SOLD
Roman, Lead Votive or Tessera, c. 30 B.C. - 285 A.D.
The Greeks and Romans used the name "Ethiopian" for all Africans living south of the Sahara. We are uncertain of the specific origin, date, and purpose or use for this piece. It is an attractive and interesting mystery.AR98632. Lead tessera, VF, cast, very high sculptural relief, typical lead patina, irregular shape, old cuts and marks, weight 15.634 g, maximum diameter 32.0 mm, die axis 0o, obverse facing head of a bald Ethiopian; reverse flat (probably cast in an open mold); SOLD
Roman Egypt, Antinoopolites Nome?, Portrait of Antinous, c. 130 - 153 A.D.?
On 30 October 130 A.D., Hadrian founded the city of Antinoopolis on the very bank of the Nile river where Antinous drowned. It was the capital of a new nome, Antinoopolites. RX41306. Lead tessera, Dattari 6536, Geissen 3559 var. (11.23g), Emmett 4397 (R4), F, weight 3.809 g, maximum diameter 20.1 mm, die axis 75o, obverse draped bust of Antinous right, wearing hem-hem crown of Harpocrates, crescent before; reverse Serapis standing left, kalathos on head, right hand raised, long scepter in left; rare; SOLD
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