I recently picked up an interesting silver bar, or ingot, that was produced between the 1st and 3rd centuries AD. The ingot appears to be of Roman origin. It weighs 36.9 grams, which puts in the range of 10 denarii. The dimensions are, 34 mm long, 15 mm wide, and 11 mm high. There is a stamp that was applied after the casting. There are letters present, but due to the very dark patina, they are somewhat difficult to decipher. They appear to be "AECS". This ingot is an interesting example of how Romans stored their wealth. Given the really dark patina on this example, it is probable that it came out of an archaeological find, but where and when we'll never know, which is a shame, since information on any associated objects found with it would help to date it and perhaps even narrow down where it was produced. Does anyone out there have more information? Please post your ingots and hacksilver pieces. From the estate of Guy Clark. Also, greetings from sunny California, at 2 PM.
Yikes! Jojo...and I thought I had it bad 'afearin' TX Gulf Coast hurricanes. Take care of yourself and yours I like the ingot & find it an interesting historical piece. Addendum: I knew Guy when he 1st started his musical career here at Houston's Jester Lounge. I was a senior in HS and ended up being the photographer for the JL. J.T.
I think they're safe, at least in terms of fire, but the air quality throughout the Bay Area and Central Valley is very bad. In fact the air is lousy for much of the western US.
For those interested, here's a link to the British Museum for a Roman ingot (very large at 353.40 grams), found at the Tower of London in 1777: https://www.britishmuseum.org/collection/object/H_OA-247 The ingot's description includes: "It was found in 1777 with two gold coins of the emperor Arcadius (AD 395-408) and one of Honorius (AD 395-423), and dates to the end of the Roman period in Britain. The site, later to be occupied by the Norman Tower of London, lay inside the south-east corner of the Roman city wall, and it is possible that it had been a late Roman military stronghold."
That's a sweet hunk of silver...hope someone can add to the provenance of this piece! Hope everyone stays safe out west! I was aware of the fires in Cal., but saw satellite photos this morning of the devastation in Oregon also...entire towns burned to the ground. I lived through the hurricane in Port Aransas last month & that was a wild ride, but nothing compared to what you folks are going through. Be safe & aware!
Smoke was terrible yesterday so that at noon the sky looked like it does before sunrise here in the Bay Area. Nice ingot.
Actually the air quality at ground level wasn't too bad, especially compared to other areas. The smoke that is causing the orangish cast is in the upper atmosphere. Still, this is an ominous sign of what is becoming the "new normal". Getting back to the silver bar/ingot. Are there any other examples out there for comparison? Is there a website that discusses silver production during Roman times? Thanks