WOW! I got a PIG today!

I received my mail, and wow, I got a PIG of Bronze today!

The Aes Grave series of Roman Republic and Italian cast coins are very distinctive. Being of cast bronze, they are very heavy, relatively smooth, and just feel GREAT in-hand. They were minted in the 3rd BCE at various mints across Central Italy.

The Aes Grave series of coins were considered Pre-Denarius issue.

The Romans used a Libral Standard (Libra = 1 Roman Pound or approx 322-329 grams)
The more common denominations include the:
As (12 Unciae)
Semis (6 Unciae)
Triens (4 Unciae or Three to an As)
Quadrans (3 Unciae or 4 to an As),
Sextans (2 Unciae or 6 to an As),
Uncia (12 to an As)
Additionally, Semuncia (1/2 Uncia) were produced.

There were even 10 Asses, 5 Asses, 3 Asses, and 2 Asses produced! Huge.

Needless to say, an As is a Roman Pound in weight (approx 322-329g), these coins can be MONSTERS in weight and size.

During the fifth century BC, the value of bronze was prescribed by Roman Law and codified in the famous “Twelve Tablets” – circa 450 BC. An As at that time was TEN Libral Pounds!

For simplicity, general purchasing power that I have gleaned over a few publications are:
1000 Asses = 1 Ox
10 Asses = 1 Sheep
10,000 Asses = 1 Horse
10,000 Asses = 1 SLAVE
100,000 Asses = You were well off in Roman society
Less than 15,000 Asses of worth, you were poor or part of the Prolitariate.

The Aes Grave I received today is a Triens, or 1/3 of an As. Pretty hefty, and would be pretty wild to have as pocket change!



Roman Republic
Anonymous issue
Aes Grave Triens , Libral Standard
46mm, 90.3g, (OH! and 9.3mm THICK!)
280-276 BCE
Rome Mint
Obv: Thunderbolt; •• •• across field.
Rev. Dolphin right; •••• below.
Ref: Crawford 14/3; Haeberlin pl. 39, 7-10. Thurlow & Vecchi 3; Sear 538

Please feel free to post any Pre-Denarius issues, any of your BIG HEAVY Coins, or any cool issues from the Roman Republic!

 

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Holy smokes...I have a little guy...

 

Absolutely incredible @Alegandron !!!! Hmm, I guess you could buy several chickens with that humongous triens and a jug of wine to wash it down with and still have 'credit' at the Inn LOL

I LOVE it 'Al' and wish I had one to post!!

My versions of a sextans, a triens and an as of Pompey:

 

That is one big, impressive puck of a coin. I love the in-hand picture.

 

Now that is a real pond skipper ya got there. Congrats.

 

I just really like the Aes Grave, they are just big-as'd coins! Feel GREAT in hand! When you handle them, they have a substantial and a smooth surface feel. And, you really feel like you have wealth and value in them. You can see why the Early Romans and Central Italians felt they had real wealth with these currencies.

 

We should not be amazed that prices changed over the years in Rome. Look what has happened to your dollar/pound etc. over the same number of years. I find the 10,000 asses for a horse amazing if it was liberal asses since that would be more than the horse weighed. Imperial asses, perhaps, but liberal?

I only have one coin to show and have shown it here many times. It is aes grave cast sextans (half a triens) with turtle and wheel.

Mine weighs almost exactly what my earliest struck as weighs which is where we get the term 'sextantal series' for those struck coins. There were many alterations of standards for bronze coins between the earliest big liberals and the end of the Republic only a couple centuries later. I do not pretend to be able to keep up.

 

I LIKE that Sextans! Turtle and Wheel are really nice. Is that about 40g of fun?

 

I enjoy getting the various denominations like you do. Shows the width of variety in the issues. Then it gets interesting as they move from Aes Rude to Libral standards, to Sextantal, the to the Denarius reform standards...

 

@Alegandron I love your triens! Mine is more worn, and the pellets are hard to see....but you can see the eye on the dolphin! (ok, I know it might just be a chip or a defect, but I smile whenever I see that twinkle in her eye)

 

That is way cool...eye or chip! Gives it character... Did you name it Flipper?

 

@dougsmit I never get tired of seeing this sextans! Such a lovely turtle. And it looks very thick!

 

Here is my Sextans... the Triens is almost twice a big!


Anonymous.
Circa 270 BC.
Æ Aes Grave Sextans
(37mm, 55.28 g, 12h). Libral standard.
Uncertain mint.
OBV: Head of Dioscurus right; two pellets (mark of value) behind
REV: Head of Dioscurus left; two pellets (mark of value) behind.
Crawford 18/5; ICC 37; HN Italy 283.
Fine, attractive dark green patina.
Ex Auktionshaus Meister & Sonntag 2 (20 September 2004), lot 1031.

 

Unless you are willing to spend a fortune (which I am not, all my friends know I am cheap), it is difficult to get really large Aes Grave where a portion of the design is not worn off. Here's my worn semis,
1/2 of an As.

280-269 BC
Rome mint
AE aes grave Semis 151.81gm - 55 mm
Obv: Head of Minerva left, in crested Corinthian helmet, S below
Rev: Head of Venus left, S below
References: ICC 26, T&V 2, Crawford 14/2, Syd 9, SR529

 

Remarkable detail on this sextans! Really nice!

 

Thank you! A different portrayal of the Dioscuri...

 

Nice => that's an awesome addition, Gandalf (congrats) ... man, that's a big one, eh?

Yah, I love AE-RR's ... so cool!!

=> here are some of my favourites





Oh, and the one that got away ....







... however, I like to think that's bronze disease and I dodged a bullet (but man, please give me a heads-up if you see one of these babies out there)

thanks in advance

 

Wonderful posts everyone!!!!...... and sorry about the one that got away Steve....

Hey, I think the snake 'scared the crap' out of that cow

 

LOVEM ALL! And I have been looking for your dodged bullet too... Yeah, the BD kinda looks like a little of the Andromeda strain on the bronze... Wow, the Wolf and kids, the Fly, the Bull...Elephant head? Cool cool AE's!

 

oh man, i thought i was going to have a pig on it.

oh well, it's still a great coin! 90 + grams, man that's awesome!

here's my heaviest roman, at a dainty 31.7 g...