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Home ▸ Catalog ▸ |Roman Coins| ▸ |Roman 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 Lead amulet, apparently an unpublished variant; cf.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
Roman Egypt, Antinoopolites Nome, Portrait of Antinous, c. 131 - 132 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. We believe the date on this coin is year 2 of an era beginning with the founding of Antinoopolis.
The Emmett reference has the bust of Hermes with a caduceus. Our coin could be Hermes with the features of Antinous and with an obscured caduceus behind. Emmett does not, however, note a crescent, which would be hard to overlook. There is no plate coin to compare. The reference may refer to our type or it may not.RX39461. Lead tessera, cf. Emmett 4328 (uncertain match, Nilus obv, Hermes with caduceus rev, no crescent noted, year 2, R5); Dattari -; Geissen -; Milne -, Choice gF, weight 4.755 g, maximum diameter 20.3 mm, die axis 0o, Antinoopolis? mint, 131 - 132 A.D.?; obverse draped bust of Antinous right, wearing hem-hem crown of Harpocrates, crescent before, possibly caduceus behind, linear border; reverse Nilus reclining left on crocodile, raising Nike crowning him with wreath in right hand, cornucopia in left hand, L B (year 2) left, linear border; extremely rare; SOLD
Roman Egypt, Antinoopolites Nome?, Portrait of Antinous, c. 137 - 138 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. Perhaps the date on this coin is year 8 of an era beginning with the founding of Antinoopolis.
Which side is the obverse is ambiguous and references diverge.RX38975. Lead tessera, Geissen 3579 (same dies, smaller flan); Dattari 6445 corr; Emmett 4357 (R5); Milne -, aF, weight 4.445 g, maximum diameter 21.5 mm, die axis 45o, Antinoopolis? mint, c. 137 - 138 A.D.?; obverse bust of Serapis right, modius on head, L - H (year 8) across fields; reverse draped bust of Antinous right, wearing Hemhem crown, L - H (year 8) across fields; extremely rare; SOLD
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