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LOT 0710
Roman Bronze 'Money Box' with Incised Cross
4TH CENTURY A.D.
2 1/8 in. (89 grams, 54 mm).
Hollow-formed model male head with aperture to underside; with short beard and incised cross fourchée to the brow.
ProvenanceGerman 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.
For head type, see The Metropolitan Museum of Art, Object Number 13.225.1.
FootnotesMoney 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.
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LOT 0710
Roman Bronze 'Money Box' with Incised Cross
Estimate £2,000 - 3,000€2,320 - 3,480 (for guidance only)$2,700 - 4,050 (for guidance only)
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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. -
Roman Bronze Ring with Standing Figure
1st-4th century A.D.Sold for (Inc. bp): £104
Comprising a slender hoop and an oval bezel with a standing robed figure, possibly a goddess. 2.08 grams, 17.41 mm overall, 15.25 mm internal diameter (approximate size British I, USA 4 1/4, Europe 7.44, Japan 7)
From the private collection of a European gentleman (1942-2024), formed since the 1970s. -
Roman Tall Glass Flask with Iridescence
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Tall unguentarium with a waisted body and tubular neck with rolled rim. 46 grams, 14.7 cm
Private collection, 1990s-early 2000s.