An interesting Aes Rude, with two symbols punched into it, arrived today. Aes Signatum + Cast Aes Signatum or Aes Rude with symbols Central Italy, 4th to 2nd century BC Side 1 – 4 incuse lines punched to form an X or star with a dot in the middle Side 2 – incuse crescent, (, this one is a bit light and hard to see This piece looks like it was broken from a larger flat (semi flat) piece of uneven thickness. Dimensions: 17 X 21 X 11.5 mm Wt: 13.1 grams Similar pieces are listed in: Italian Cast Coinage, Vecchi #2.1, counterstamped or inscribed aes rude. Plate 1, #2.2; similar to NAC 7, 1994 # 282 Haeberlin pg 4, #6 – 8 Garrucci pg 37, pl 67 – 68 I have one with a + on one side. I looked today and did not find anything on the other side.
Super cool punch/symbol ... sadly, I don't know enough about these babies to ask any sort of interesting question (but thanks for posting and teaching me about these sweet examples) cheers, rrdenarius (I hope that this long Easter weekend treats you well)
Defintiely cool!!! I'm trying to grab an example of a Aes Rude, unmarked as far as I can tell. I'd love a cast version, but the prices keep scaring me away LOL
I have a similar aes rude...Rectangular cast bronze; X stamped on one side, uncertain markings on the other.
I'm always quite skeptical of these early cast bronzes. I think that most appearing on the market today are from Spain, and date much later than they would in traditonal Republican coinage.
I am a bit skeptical as well, which is why I bought from a vender with a lifetime guarantee, just in case future evidence shows their attribution to be incorrect. But I still like my coin a lot!
I agree that there is no way on knowing if an item is genuine. If it was found at a recorded archaeological dig and properly recorded your chances would improve, but that is not the way most of the items in our hobby were found and maintained. The next best chance is to do some homework and see what an item should look like and buy from someone who seems honest. (Kinda like I thought F&S was an honorable company.) One of the first dealers who sold me an Aes Rude sent me the attached pic showing a find in his shop. He also suggested books: ICC by Veddhi, Aes Grave by Haeberlin and Le Monete Dell' Italia Antica by Garrucci. Bottom line, no way of knowing. I visited a small metal forge that made nick nacks. The smith said he could duplicate any patina I wanted.
I have never collected As rude but admire from afar. This is a great goup of postings. Thanks so much.
A correction of my posting yesterday. I meant to type "group" rather than "goup". Sorry about that. My fingers don't work as well as they should.
