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LOT 1013
Large Roman Gaming Dice Pair
1ST-2ND CENTURY A.D.
1/2 in. (4.35 grams total, 11 mm each).
Each cuboid with ring-and-dot markings disposed 1:6, 2:5, 3:4.
ProvenanceEx Essex gentleman's collection, 2000s.
LiteratureCf. Allason-Jones, L. & Miket, R., The Catalogue of Small Finds from South Shields Roman Fort, Newcastle, 1984, item 2.82.
CONDITIONTimeLine Auctions follows a vetting process to ensure the authenticity and legality of all items, reinforcing our commitment to integrity and responsible trading. Each antiquity, antique, and coin lot undergoes thorough examination by a vetting committee of at least ten external specialists, professional trade association members, scientists, and archaeologists: Our Vetting Process
AUCTIONS:
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Roman Bronze 'Money Box' with Incised Cross
4th century A.D.Estimate: £2,000 - 3,000 (‡+bp*)
Opening Bid: £1,111
Hollow-formed model male head with aperture to underside; with short beard and incised cross fourchée to the brow. 89 grams, 54 mm
German private collection, 1980s. with Artemis Gallery, 1990s. Private collection, acquired in 1999. This lot has been checked against the Interpol Database of stolen works of art and is accompanied by a search certificate number no.12866-241640.
Money boxes in the Roman Empire, particularly in the 4th century A.D., were used as practical containers for storing coins in everyday life. They were often made from pottery or metal, and while many examples had to be broken open, others were made with small doors or openings to allow access to the contents. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Bird
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £59
An interphalangeal ring with a slender hoop and an oval bezel with a stylised bird. 1.69 grams, 17.62 mm overall, 13.08 x 15.34 mm internal diameter (approximate size British F 1/2, USA 3, Europe 4.30, Japan 4)
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Terracotta Bullae, Tesserae or Token Group
3rd century B.C.-1st century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £91
A mixed group of ceramic bullae, tesserae or theatre tokens bearing low-relief motifs, mainly consisting of profile busts of deities. 31 grams total, 14-20 mm
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s.
The term 'tessera' was used in Roman times to convey the Greek term σύμβολον (token). Small tiles are known as tokens, often shaped like coins, made of metal (copper, lead, iron), clay, bone, wood, or glass, stamped as well as engraved. The tokens, however, are not exclusively coin-shaped, as the Latin term 'tessera' suggests by etymologically referring to a square or at least a four-sided shape and confirmed in several cases by material remains of the past. Tokens and tesserae seem to have been used both in Athens and Rome for the distribution of goods. According to written sources, the term token is identified with credentials of the official authorities. They have also been interpreted as tokens of identity, as entrance tickets to theatre performances, tribunals or assemblies of citizens, archival material of seal engraving, as pawns in games, Charon’s obols and even as amulets.
