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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;David Atherton, post: 3448518, member: 82616&quot;]While recently reading R. Hobbs&#039; <i>Currency and Exchange in Ancient Pompeii</i>, I came across this fascinating table. It&#039;s a list of 1,385 coins found in a large <i>dolia</i> at a bar in Pompeii. Presumably the coins were left behind by the owner who fled the eruption in a hurry.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915816[/ATTACH]</p><p>Unsurprisingly, coins struck by Vespasian dominate the hoard.</p><p><br /></p><p>The <i>dolia</i> was sunk into the counter (like the one pictured below) and perhaps held the previous evening&#039;s takings.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915817[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Prices normally were listed in <i>asses</i> because bronze was the common currency for everyday exchange while gold and silver was for storing one&#039;s wealth. Poignantly, silver and gold coins are normally found on the fleeing victims of the eruption who wished to take their stored wealth with them. Rarely are bronze and precious metal coins found in a mixed condition. The Pompeian fresco below wonderfully illustrates this - precious metal on the left, bronze on the right.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915818[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Pictured below is a price list from Herculaneum of various wines in <i>asses</i>.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915821[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Outside of one Pompeian bar a graffito reads: Hedone says you can drink here for one <i>as</i>, if you give two, you will drink better; if you give four, you will drink falernian.</p><p><br /></p><p>Just as today, the bar scene was certainly lively.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915819[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>At any rate, I thought this would be of some interest. I&#039;ll end the post with a nice, common bronze of Vespasian, which could have very well ended up in a bar&#039;s <i>dolia</i> at the end of a long evening.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]915825[/ATTACH]</p><p><b>Vespasian</b></p><p>Æ As, 9.85g</p><p>Rome mint, 76 AD</p><p>RIC 897 (R). BMC p. 169 note.</p><p>Obv: IMP CAESAR VESP AVG COS VII; Head of Vespasian, laureate, r.</p><p>Rev: VICTORIA AVGVST; S C in field; Victory stg. r. on prow, with wreath and palm[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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