Fine Coins Showcase
Antiquities Showcase
Show Empty Categories
Shop Search
Shopping Cart
My FORVM
Contact Us
About Forum
Shopping at Forum
Our Guarantee
Payment Options
Shipping Options & Fees
Privacy & Security
Forum Staff
Selling Your Coins
Identifying Your Coin
FAQs
zoom.asp
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. |
The purpose of Byzantine era lead tokens is unknown. Many appear closely related to seals differing only by the absence of a cord or channel for attachment to a container or document. Many late Roman and early Byzantine seals have a figural type on one side and a legend in two lines in Latin or Greek on the other side. Seals with a menorah are known, usually with a blank globular reverse, but some also have a name on the other side.JD98657. Lead token, personal token of Rodanos(?); Roma e-sale 53 (7 Feb 2019), lot 504 (same dies), VF, highlighting earthen deposit desert patina, weight 3.077 g, maximum diameter 14.1 mm, die axis 180o, c. 5th - 6th century A.D.; obverse Menorah of seven branches, flanked by lulav on left and etrog on right; reverse POΔA/NOY in two lines across field, palm frond above; ex CNG e-auction 435 (2 Jan 2019), lot 401; extremely rare;
Judean Kingdom, Alexander Jannaeus (Yehonatan), 104 - 76 B.C., Plate Coin
Lead tesserae (tokens) were likely issued by the monarch to the poor to be redeemed for food or other commodities. Meshorer reports the lead tesserae of Alexander Jannaeus are found almost exclusively in Transjordan. This is the plate coin in Meshorer's Jewish Coins of the Second Temple Period (Tel-Aviv, 1967), at which time the coin was in the Grosswirth Collection.JD111754. Lead tessera, Meshorer 2nd Temple pl. II, 7 (this coin), Hendin 6192 (S), Meshorer TJC M, Meshorer AJC D, HGC 10 645, gF, green-gray surfaces, earthen deposits, cleaning scratches, weight 4.019 g, maximum diameter 18.5 mm, Transjordan mint, 95 - 76 B.C.; obverse Greek legend: BAΣIΛEΩΣ AΛEΞANΔPOY (of King Alexander), anchor (upside-down as if hanging on the side of a boat), inside circle; reverse traces of Aramaic inscription, King Alexander, in three lines, within a border of dots; ex CNG e-auction 510 (23 Feb 2022), lot 283; ex Dr. Jay M. Galst Collection; Herb Kreindler (May 1985); ex E. Grosswirth Collection ; very scarce;
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;
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
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. Perhaps the date is from the founding of Antinoopolis.RX39457. Lead tessera, Geissen 3567; Emmett 4291.2 (R4?); Dattari-Savio -; Milne -, F, weight 5.205 g, maximum diameter 23.0 mm, die axis 0o, Antinoopolis mint, c. 130 - 153 A.D.; obverse draped bust of Antinous (as Hermes) right, wearing hem-hem crown of Harpocrates, crescent before, ΘW upward behind; reverse Nike advancing left, wearing chiton, raising wreath extended in right, palm frond over shoulder in left hand, L - B (year 2 of uncertain era) across field; rare; SOLD
Byzantine Empire, Palaestina or Syria, c. 450 - 500 A.D.
This object, from the Alex Malloy Collection, was held by him for decades, only speculatively attributed as probably Islamic. The referenced recent article by Farhi indicates another possible attribution. As discussed by Farhi, in the second half of the 5th century, besides Byzantine nummi, low-value currency in Palaestina appears to have included similar sized centuries old Jewish prutah, cast Axumite imitations, and even bronze and lead blank flans. Many fragments of lead mirror frames, found over many years, appear to have been cut around decorative star-like or floral patterns to look like coins. They were almost certainly used as coins. The lead mirror frame fragment "coins" in Farhi have different patterns and are blank on one side, but this object is very similar.BZ53343. Lead nummus, fragment of ornamented lead object coinage(?); See Farhi, H. "Note on Two Types of Byzantine Lead Currency" in INR 8 (2013) for similar examples, weight 2.836 g, maximum diameter 23.1 mm, from Alex G. Malloy Collection; SOLD
CLICK HERE TO SEE MORE FROM THIS CATEGORY - FORVM's PRIOR SALES
REFERENCES
Page created in 1.172 seconds.
