A steelyard scale on a coin.

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by rrdenarius, Jun 12, 2019.

  1. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    This silver bullion coin is not at home in Ancient Coins, but maybe folks here will grant me a bit of leeway. The following coin has features that tie the coin to the wars between Rome and Carthage.
    Tunisia 1 denar steelyard scale ebay 6.5.19.jpg
    1969 Tunisia 1 Dinar, Silver (0.925/0.5948ASW), KM294 0.6525683
    Obv – head, left; Lettering: Habib Bourguiba President De La Rep.Tunisienne, 1969
    Rev –head of Iugurtha (Jugurtha) king of Numidia, map of Numidia (not sure when, but could be 150 BC) and steelyard scale. The scale has a wolf and twins, representing Rome, in the large pan. The scale weight is a coin of Carthage (or maybe Numidia) with a horse and palm tree. Lettering: 1 DENAR, IUGURTHA, NUMIDIA

    Minted in 1969 by the FRANKLIN MINT, Philadelphia USA with authorization from the Government of TUNISIA. The coin is: 40 mm Dia. & 20.00 grams of 0.925 SILVER = 0.65 oz.

    Note that the coin has a Steelyard Scale! I have several ancient coins and a few recent ones that show a scale. All of those are two pan balances.
    DSCN3137.JPG

    The Tunisian scale looks a lot like the two scales in my collection, see below. I have several old scale weights. Some of the weights are Roman.
    steelyard scales.JPG
     

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  3. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    That's cool and congrats on your addition.
     
  4. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    great stuff RR , thanks for sharing.
    Fiddled a bit with your Dinar:

    weegschaal tunisie.jpg
     
  5. Plumbata

    Plumbata Well-Known Member

    Great steelyards and weights, that's a very interesting collection! And I've been wondering for a while now if the item in your avatar is a bronze Astragalos in your collection? If so that's quite nice as well. I've got some lead ones, and a lead-weighted and bronze-weighted natural bone ones but a solid bronze one is on the list. I've seen glass ones too which are pretty cool.

    I do have suspicion about something and hope you don't mind me questioning this:
    steelyard weight.JPG

    Was the stamped portion heavily cleaned? At first glance it looks much like the recently altered plain lead sling bullets with roman Legion stamps or owls or Athena which obviously deforms the lead, causing cracking and flaking/loss of the pale oxide/carbonate patina and revealing the grey metal below in spots. I'm not saying that it is a modern alteration and hopefully it's just over-cleaned which would certainly make sense but it would be worth studying it closely under magnification to see if the remaining patina in the stamp is suspiciously crackled.
     
  6. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    Nice modern coin with a tie-in to ancients. I love scales on coins. Here's a few examples.

    ie8WN5kpNjK79odDq3LD2iaRG4BefQ.jpg Philip I Ant 246AD.jpg
     
  7. Orfew

    Orfew Draco dormiens nunquam titillandus

    My only coin with a scale.

    Otho ric 19.jpg
     
  8. Sallent

    Sallent Live long and prosper

    rrdenarius and Orfew like this.
  9. rrdenarius

    rrdenarius non omnibus dormio Supporter

    My avatar is a silvered (or silver) Astragalos.
    140D.jpg
    The vendor's description: Roman Republican.Aes formatum.AE/AG knucklebone. Etruria or Latium, 6th-9th century BC.AE/AG?.g. 59.80RRR.About EF.Silver alloy? Silvered? Partial green patina. Apparently unpublished.
    Note - I have seen at least one other silver Astragalos offered in an auction since I bought this one.
    I have several knucklebones, some on coins.
    DSCN0881.JPG
    five bone (most with lead), lead, silvered & bronze

    Astragalus club Cr27.10 Artemide Asta 12.15.14.jpg DSCN2271.JPG

    I will look at the scale weight and get back. I would like to feel better about the seller, but I have only modest confidence in the area of scales and weights.
     
  10. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    very kool rr..:)
     
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