Aes rude (Latin, "rough bronze") was a nugget of bronze used as a sort of proto-currency in ancient Italy prior to the use of minted coins made from precious metals. The Italian economy of the time (late middle first millennium BC) was based on a bronze standard
Nice piece @galba68. Rome first paid soldiers in 400 BC. They first produced coins about 280 BC. Between those dates, cast bronze was used to pay soldiers. If the 3 As per day was true in 400 BC, that would be about 15 US pounds per week. Exhibition of the history of money, Palazzo Massimo, in Rome. Not my picture. Pictures of cast bronze money from Garrucci. some of my cast bronze money
Very nice, my friend. I probably would have walked right on by it, because I had no idea what it was? Thank you @expat and @rrdenarius for educating an old man (well, trying to, lol).
