An interesting lot of bronze bars arrived this week. It is the heaviest group of cast bronze pieces I have purchased. The seller called them Roman Republican Aes Signatum. The shapes have thicker mold marks on sides and ends than most of the bars in my collection. Two of the bars have large air holes. Central Italy and the Roman Republic, Late 4th - early 3rd century BC (Vecchi says 8th to 3rd). Eight cast bronze bars or AES Formatum. Two bars have what might have Ramo Secco marks that would make them Signatum, and the rest have no visible marks. The bars have some dirt and scale. Per vendor: Decor can no longer be determined. These are fragments of originally rectangular bronze bars. Most have mold marks on their edge. 221g, 288g, 441g, 453g, 680g, 749g, 754g and 763g. 8 pieces! = 4,349 grams total = 13.3 Asses.
Very impressive. I would like to collect the AES coin looking pieces. The ones with "Janus Head" or ship prows. Saw some at a Whitman show a couple of years ago and they are impressive. The dealer had several pieces like yours and he even let me hold a couple of them. Hopefully you will give the mailman a nice Christmas gift. Thanks for sharing!!
Gene, I have always enjoyed your posts on this coinage from the Early Republic. I have delved in many of those early coins / proto-monies, but I have not gotten any Aes Signatum yet. AES FORMATUM ITALIA Aes Formatum AE Bronze Ax Head ca 5th-4th C BCE sextans size 44.8mm 56g Oscan-Latin Aes Formatum scallop shell with Ribs 4th BCE Semuncia?
