Large Romano-British 'Published' Lead Gaming Dice

CIRCA 1ST-4TH CENTURY A.D.

5/8 in. (35 grams, 15 mm).

Cuboid with impressed ring-and-dot motifs disposed 6:5, 4:2, 3:1. [No Reserve]

Provenance

Found UK prior to 2000.
From the important private collection of dice and gaming pieces of Colin Narbeth, London, collection no.61.

Accompanied by a copy of the relevant Celtic & Roman Artefacts book pages where this object is published.

Published

Mills, Nigel, Celtic & Roman Artefacts, Witham, 2000, p.113, item no.RB356.

Literature

Cf. Spasić Durić, D., Град Виминацијум-The city of Viminacium, (in Serbian), Pozarevac, 2015, fig.166, for similar.

Footnotes

The conventional Roman dice were made in bone or lead, with dots representing numbers from 1 to 6. Roman dice from the Romano-British settlements are often poorly made and often had opposite sides that do not add up to 7.

CONDITION

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LOT 0663