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<p>[QUOTE="Ardatirion, post: 1390465, member: 9204"]That information refers specifically to the lead pieces of Alexander Jannaeus and is sorely out of date, at that. Donative tokens (which are certainly known for the Byzantine and medieval worlds) were made exceptionally small numbers; no more would have been struck than necessary for the donation. The leads of Jannaeus are very common today, particularly after large finds in the Transjordan. This is indicative of a regional coinage, NOT a donation! </p><p><br /></p><p>There are several reasons to strike lead coins. While shortages are the most commonly cited cause (which I highly doubt), authorities also could have struck coins to control rising production costs or to limit their areas of circulation. The latter reason is brilliantly illustrated in China under the Southern Song dynasty. The copper cash were habitually exported to the Jin-controlled north, leaving border areas in want of coin, so the local mints responded by casting lead cash. I suspect this cause was at work in Judaea with the lead prutah (Hendin now calls them by the denomination name, fyi).</p><p><br /></p><p>The Roman pieces were likely privately cast to provide small denominations after it had ceased to be a profitable venture for the mint. While I'm not saying there are NO donative tokens from Rome, I certainly feel that the majority of tesserae served a monetary function.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Ardatirion, post: 1390465, member: 9204"]That information refers specifically to the lead pieces of Alexander Jannaeus and is sorely out of date, at that. Donative tokens (which are certainly known for the Byzantine and medieval worlds) were made exceptionally small numbers; no more would have been struck than necessary for the donation. The leads of Jannaeus are very common today, particularly after large finds in the Transjordan. This is indicative of a regional coinage, NOT a donation! There are several reasons to strike lead coins. While shortages are the most commonly cited cause (which I highly doubt), authorities also could have struck coins to control rising production costs or to limit their areas of circulation. The latter reason is brilliantly illustrated in China under the Southern Song dynasty. The copper cash were habitually exported to the Jin-controlled north, leaving border areas in want of coin, so the local mints responded by casting lead cash. I suspect this cause was at work in Judaea with the lead prutah (Hendin now calls them by the denomination name, fyi). The Roman pieces were likely privately cast to provide small denominations after it had ceased to be a profitable venture for the mint. While I'm not saying there are NO donative tokens from Rome, I certainly feel that the majority of tesserae served a monetary function.[/QUOTE]
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