Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction IX 22 March 2015
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Roman silver ingot or bar with assayers stamps. Late fourth century AD. Horizontal central stamp in dotted rectangular frame: LVCIAN[VS] / OBRI•SIC Christogram; two lateral vertical stamps each with: DDD ... / ... / ... /... NNN. For similar gold bars from Kronstadt in Transylvania with similar central stamps ending OBRI SIC Christogram, cf. J.P.C. Kent, 'Coinage and Currency, AD 300-700', in Wealth of the Roman World, London, 1977, 535-6 (CM 1894-12-7-1 and CM 1894-12-7-2) and A.M. Burnett, Coinage in the Roman World, 1987, p. 135, 160 (CM 1894-12-7-1). 72.2g
Good condition, stamps somewhat weak.
The central stamp of this remarkable silver bar informs us that a certain Lucianus is responsible for the testing of its purity exactly as we see on the gold bars from Kronstadt in Transylvania, now in the British Museum Collection. To ensure the continued purity of the gold and silver coinage, in circa AD 364-7 the three Domini Nostri: Valentinian I, Valens and Gratian ordered all gold and silver coins paid as tax to be melted down into bars before being turned back into coin. It is possible that as so many forgeries had entered into circulation and it would be easier for the government to test a smaller number of larger bars than millions of individual coins.
The assaying activity is reflected on coins and bar stamps by the additional letters OB or OBRI, standing for obrysa, obryzon or obryziacus, meaning assayed/refined or tested by fire, which in coins is confirmed by following the mint city's initials, i.e. CONOB, and on stamps OBRI. This test or assay for silver coins was called pusulatum, meaning blistered (fired) and abbreviated as PS, PST PV or PVS after mint initials of many late Roman silver coin issues, e.g. RIC IX, Constantinople 11-13.
The bars weight is difficult to quantify, at 72.2 grams it may have been intended to be a quarter of a Roman libra, ideally about 81 grams. Due to no weight indication, as usual with silver bars, we must accept that the stamps guaranteed the fineness of the silver which could be used to produce state issued argentei which modern numismatists erroneously call siliquae (from the seed of the carob tree used for the smallest weight in the Roman metrological system, i.e. 1/6 of a scruple or 1/1728 of a libra which may be calculated as 0.19 grams).
Good condition, stamps somewhat weak.
The central stamp of this remarkable silver bar informs us that a certain Lucianus is responsible for the testing of its purity exactly as we see on the gold bars from Kronstadt in Transylvania, now in the British Museum Collection. To ensure the continued purity of the gold and silver coinage, in circa AD 364-7 the three Domini Nostri: Valentinian I, Valens and Gratian ordered all gold and silver coins paid as tax to be melted down into bars before being turned back into coin. It is possible that as so many forgeries had entered into circulation and it would be easier for the government to test a smaller number of larger bars than millions of individual coins.
The assaying activity is reflected on coins and bar stamps by the additional letters OB or OBRI, standing for obrysa, obryzon or obryziacus, meaning assayed/refined or tested by fire, which in coins is confirmed by following the mint city's initials, i.e. CONOB, and on stamps OBRI. This test or assay for silver coins was called pusulatum, meaning blistered (fired) and abbreviated as PS, PST PV or PVS after mint initials of many late Roman silver coin issues, e.g. RIC IX, Constantinople 11-13.
The bars weight is difficult to quantify, at 72.2 grams it may have been intended to be a quarter of a Roman libra, ideally about 81 grams. Due to no weight indication, as usual with silver bars, we must accept that the stamps guaranteed the fineness of the silver which could be used to produce state issued argentei which modern numismatists erroneously call siliquae (from the seed of the carob tree used for the smallest weight in the Roman metrological system, i.e. 1/6 of a scruple or 1/1728 of a libra which may be calculated as 0.19 grams).