So this is the token I was talking about in: Genuine/Original Spintria/Spintriae Tokens (Roman Brothel Tokens)? edited Diameter 3.2cm Thicknes 0.3- 0.4cm View attachment 527672 View attachment 527673
If that wasn't used as a token for the brothels, I can't imagine what else they could have had in mind.... EDIT: forgot the 'if it is genuine' LOL
Are you asking if that is a genuine Ancient Roman token? No, it is very clearly a modern, machine struck production.
I dont say that it is ancient, just found a similar thread here and did not know where else to post it. I dont think that its modern or at least not the past decades. It was founded in the ground in about 30-35cm deep.
The fake sellers on eBay must be doing brisk business with these. This is indeed a modern reproduction sold as a set, and not meant to deceive at all.
Very clearly a modern cast fantasy. It doesn't even closely copy any of the authentic types. I study and collect this series and I've seen quite a few.
Who knows. The bottom line is that it is of modern manufacture. It's a fun thing to find and will make for a great story, but it isn't a high-value object (not that "valuable" is the end-all/be-all for collectors).
I have been involved in manufacturing virtually all my career. I could easily have that token made, then put in an accelerated weathering testing chamber, create any aging you want, then inject it underground so that dirt was undisturbed. Easiest hoax to pull off.
I believe that it's easy to make nowdays. But why would somebody hide it in the ground of a forest??WHY? I still think that it is at least 1940-50. If it would be a thing wich I bought on internet or somewhere else , when yes could be modern. But I dug it out of 30-35cm deep in the sandy ground. The surface of a ground does not seem like it was touched for at least a year.
See Doug's quote from above. You could easily find a fake ancient coin in the ground from an "old" US site. A century or two ago Roman history and Latin were taught in schools. The historical reproductions were a part of the process I am sure. My wife is re-reading the Laura Ingalls book series. She showed me the quote from the McDuffie Reader by a Roman general they recited to take their minds off being cold when they ran out of fire wood in a blizzard.
I think that is a better idea than ebay. Here in Europe we dont find much of modern fakes in the ground, only fakes of the same time period of the original item. There is some letters in the bottom of first picture, but I can not read it.. Anyway , thank you all for the answers! Great forum and interesting threads you have here!
