Here's a thing I found in the FORVM store that I had to have simply because I've never seen one, and I collect all manner of Levantine things. A tessera, or weight perhaps. Two identical helmeted busts, apparently unpublished. You don't have to like it. Syria, lead token, possibly a weight, 6 mm thick in the center tapering to thin edges, weight 4.641g, maximum diameter 19.0mm, obverse helmeted head left; reverse helmeted head left. This is FORVM's blurb on lead objects, but don't tell Ardy it's anything but a coin. Lead tokens were issued in many areas of the ancient Greek world. Most prominent among the issuers were Alexander Jannaeus of Judaea and the Nabataean kings. Lead objects from other areas are periodicaly seen as well, sometimes directly copying one or both sides of an official coin, sometimes bearing completely unknown fantasy types. These enigmatic pieces are often identified as distribution tokens or entry tickets. Other possible uses for the objects include game pieces, bullae, weights, ancient counterfeit coinage, funerary money, test strikes, and even circulating coinage.
Wow, that's a sweet plumb-bob you got there, my friend ... Ummm yes, I have a sweet example of a Tessera as well ... ... close enough, eh dawg?
FORVM? You mean there is another ancient coins forum? What blasphemy is this? Love the look of old lead.
Very Cool JA !! A Tessera? I noticed something similar on a HHC listing---'an entry ticket' I believed it was described as...but i believe it was an Imperial issue....for the theater or whatever. I just checked and it's gone. I almost bid on it but I hadn't seen one before either and I completely forgot about it before checking it out. But it wasn't anywhere as nice as the example Steve just posted or on your OP---in fact i could barely tell ANYTHING was on it, let alone exactly what.
