Ancient/medieval: Weight standards of old coins

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This is probably the intersection between a local 10-uncia standard and the Roman 12-uncia standard. When Luceria was still directing it's own mint, it had local coins with a mark of value implying 5 unciae as well.

 

I have always wondered/thought about that 10 Unciae vs 12 Unciae standards in that region. Glad you postulate the same thoughts.

 

I agree that many monetary weight standards share common origins. While seignorage, cheating, debasement, revaluation, and rival states all play a role in the wonderful confusion of human events, a few core threads of monetary weight standards wend their way through that history. The sources I've read even before finding Mr. Tye's very insightful document led me to similar conclusions about several aspects of monetary weight standards. I found the chapter (and update) posted on academia very enlightening and am hoping to obtain a copy of the full book as well (sent you an email Rob).

 

Bullseye.

For me, the persistence of the fundamental standards, behind the chaos of historical events, is an encouragement, a sign of a deep seated honesty and objectivity within human kind. A beautiful antidote to so many indications that point in the opposite direction.

As an old man, the philosopher Bertrand Russell wrote:

"Man is a rational animal - so at least I have been told. Throughout a long life, I have looked diligently for evidence in favour of this statement, but so far I have not had the good fortune to come across it, though I have searched in many countries spread over three continents."

Reading your mail this morning makes me fee a lucky guy.

Rob

 

I feel you make my case for me:

Firstly, you call my position "pure conjecture" but I very recently posted important relevant evidence, in this self same thread.

Secondly, you call my position "spurious", but pluck the claim out of the air, with no evidence to back it.

Third, and most important, you self select as one of the "university people" and then write in a dismissive fashion, without anything substantive to contribute on the topic in hand.

I can remember when I found this sort of response surprising. It was more than 40 years ago. The situation now gets worse, year on year

Rob