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LOT 0687
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5TH-6TH CENTURY A.D.
8 1/4 in. (432 grams, 21 cm).
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M, A, and P; rectangular section bar with tapering cylindrical socket.
ProvenanceAcquired 1990s-early 2000s.
East Anglian private collection.
See Baratta, G., 'Roman Signacula / Una particolare categoria di signacula: marchi per legno, pellame ed animali', in Mayer, M., Olive, G., Baratta, G., Guzman Almagro, A. (ed.), XII Congressus Internationalis Epigraphiae Grecae et Latinae, Barcelona, 2007, pp.99-108, figs.3, 7, for similar stamps.
FootnotesBranding stamps or signacula, in particular those with large single letters, were used for marking livestock to identify the ownership, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. These signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved.
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AUCTIONS:
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LOT 0687
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
Estimate £100 - 140€120 - 160 (for guidance only)$140 - 190 (for guidance only)
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Late Roman Green Glass Vessel with Handle
Circa 4th century A.D.Estimate: £500 - 700 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £200
Featuring a cylindrical body and flared neck, applied collar and handle; remains of iridescence. 325 grams, 17.7 cm high
with a London, UK gallery 1971-early 2000s. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Sol Invictus
Circa 2nd-3rd century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £117
Composed of a carinated hoop and oval bezel set with a glass intaglio crowned bust facing left. 3.72 grams, 21.78 mm overall, 18.22 mm internal diameter (approximate size British K, USA 5 1/4, Europe 9.95, Japan 9)
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
The portrait could be interpreted as wearing a radiated crown, thus an image of Sol Invictus, common in gems for rings of the 3rd century A.D., where the young face of the Sun-Helios is often visible in profile, looking to the left, with the radiate crown on his head. The cult of Sol Invictus was favoured by the Illyrian emperors and elevated in Rome by Aurelian to one of the premier divinities of the Empire. -
Late Roman Iron Branding Signaculum
5th-6th century A.D.Estimate: £100 - 140 (+bp*)
Opening Bid: £40
Featuring an elaborate monogram composed of Greek letters M and O, supported by decoratively twisted prongs; tapering cylindrical socket. 521 grams, 37.5 cm
Acquired 1990s-early 2000s. East Anglian private collection.
Branding stamps or signacula, in particular those with large single letters, were used for marking livestock to identify the ownership, the breed, the quality and other features of the animal. The signacula were usually made in bronze, but iron examples are also preserved.
