I have never seen it, but it sure does not look like a coin to me. What is your reference on this piece that makes you think it was a coin?
That specimen, which was in a Harlan Berk buy or bid sale a few years back, is grossly, heavily tooled - to the point that I'm not sure I can identify the original dies. In any case, this is an example of the erotic tesserae (or spintriae), private tokens issued for an unknown purpose. Now-defunct theories of their use include that they were entrance tickets to the Colosseum or that they were brothel tokens. The numismatic and archaeological records support neither theory. They are related, by die links, to the Imperial portrait series of numeric tesserae: ROME. Augustus. 27 BC-14 AD Æ Tessera (21mm, 4.24 g) Struck mid 1st century AD Laureate head right, FEL below V in dotted circle, all within wreath Cf. Buttrey 5 (reverse numeral)
Yeah, I would call all pieces like Mr. Brooklyn's private issue tokens. I would not call it a coin. On the subject of the article, though, there was not the huge taboo back then. The point really is that the Romans were a very moral people, they just had different morality than we. Two grown men together was not looked upon favorably for an emperor or the like, but they weren't about to lynched over it either. Judeo-Christian morals have so thoroughly pervaded our consciouness and thoughts that its hard to really understand a different moral code such as the Romans had. Neither theirs nor ours is "right", they are just different. Regarding spintrae in general, there is a big difference between private and public ones. Think of the difference between US mint medals and private medals today. There is a lot more someone privately can put on a medal than what the US mint will.
Not sure I see the difference. They are die linked, so both were produced by the same authority, public or private. Although it really makes no difference if they were all intended for private use (whatever that use may be).
I never knew these "brothel tokens" were die linked to mint issued coins. I had heard some spintraea were die linked to coins, and I heard some brothel tokens were die linked to other non-brothel tokens. I had never heard they were linked all of the way to mint issues. My guess as to use is for some kind of board game or the like, especially considering many have values on them. Just a guess though. Btw Ardatirion is an expert in these, so whatever he says goes in my book. If I am wrong I am wrong.
My bad, I thought you were implying there were "official spintriae" and "unofficial spintriae." The die links only extend to the portrait series, not to circulating coins.
