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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ardatirion, post: 1787612, member: 9204&quot;]The coins today known as &quot;spintriae&quot; are actually only a small part of a series of bronze tesserae struck during the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The majority of the series actually depict a portrait of a member of the Imperial household. For a decent, open-minded discussion of the spintriae in the popular media, see <a href="http://io9.com/ancient-roman-coins-depict-sundry-sexual-acts-but-what-1277370698" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://io9.com/ancient-roman-coins-depict-sundry-sexual-acts-but-what-1277370698" rel="nofollow">here</a>. (N.B. - almost all of the pieces illustrated there are modern reproductions). I actually wrote my undergraduate thesis on the Roman tesserae, including pieces like these, but I focused more on the lead tokens,</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The most up-to-date research on the group is: Campana, Alberto. 2009. “Le Spintriae: Tessere Romane con Raffigurazioni Erotiche.” In <i>La Donna Romana Imagini e Vita Quotidiana</i>, 43–96.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The most recent English examination: Buttrey, T.V. 1973. “The Spintriae as a Historical Source.” <i>Numismatic Chronicle</i> 13 7: 52–63, pl. III–IV.</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p>The erotic pieces are too expensive for my taste, but I have some examples from the Imperial portrait series:</p><p>&nbsp;</p><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18271/Augustus_tessera.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>ROME. Augustus</b>. 27 BC-14 AD</p> <p style="text-align: center">Æ Tessera (21mm, 4.24 g)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Struck mid 1st century AD</p> <p style="text-align: center">Laureate head right, FEL below</p> <p style="text-align: center">Large V within dotted circle, all within wreath</p> <p style="text-align: center">Buttrey 5/- (unlisted reverse numeral)</p> <p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/18271/normal_image02453.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"><b>ROME. Germanicus</b>. Died AD 19.</p> <p style="text-align: center">Æ Tessera (21mm, 3.72 g, 2 h)</p> <p style="text-align: center">Cuirassed bust right, seen from behind; all within wreath</p> <p style="text-align: center">Large III; all within wreath</p> <p style="text-align: center">Buttrey 17/III</p> <p style="text-align: center">Ex Alberto Campana Collection (Numismatica Ars Classica 64, 17 May 2012), lot 2453</p><p>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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