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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Ashmolean Museum / Louise Willocx
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
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Copyright credit: Meyer 2001–03
ARCHAEOLOGICAL DESCRIPTION OF THE WEIGHT
Authority
Mint
Tomis
Denomination
1 Uncia
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Square
Length
2.80 cm
Width
2.80 cm
Height
0.60 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24.50 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 24.54 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Poppy | Relief | Head | |||
| Crab | Relief | ||||
| Double axe / Labrys | Relief | LEFT |
Wear
Lightly worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
No
Suspension hole
Yes
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the Roman Period. Square lead weight, 24.54 gr., 2.82 x 2.79 x 0.6 cm. Obv. Poppy head or crab. Rev. OYN / bipennis l. / KIA. AN 2004.44. One ounce. The weight is covered in lead oxide, making the identification of the control mark on the reverse uncertain. The lower left corner is pierced, and the middle of the upper border shows a sharp indent on both faces. This specimen may have appeared in earlier publication as part of a private collection of weights from Tomis, once on loan to the National Museum of Antiquities, Bucharest.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape; suspension hole in the lower left corner? Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; cuts on the upper side and on the upper edges on both faces. The sides are set at a slight slant. Frame on both faces. On the obverse, depiction hardly visible in relief: Poppy head or crab? Above, letters hardly visible in relief: [IK]? On the reverse, depiction of an horizontal bipennis in relief in the center. Above and below, letters in relief: OYN KIA.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the Roman Period. Square lead weight, 24.54 gr., 2.82 x 2.79 x 0.6 cm. Obv. Poppy head or crab. Rev. OYN / bipennis l. / KIA. AN 2004.44. One ounce. The weight is covered in lead oxide, making the identification of the control mark on the reverse uncertain. The lower left corner is pierced, and the middle of the upper border shows a sharp indent on both faces. This specimen may have appeared in earlier publication as part of a private collection of weights from Tomis, once on loan to the National Museum of Antiquities, Bucharest.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, square shape; suspension hole in the lower left corner? Signs of wear and corrosion: chippings; cuts on the upper side and on the upper edges on both faces. The sides are set at a slight slant. Frame on both faces. On the obverse, depiction hardly visible in relief: Poppy head or crab? Above, letters hardly visible in relief: [IK]? On the reverse, depiction of an horizontal bipennis in relief in the center. Above and below, letters in relief: OYN KIA.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Denomination, Other |
Fac simile
ΟΥΝ
ΚΙΑ
IK?
Edition
Οὐν|κία || δι̣κ̣|[αία].
Monogram
ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONTEXT
Findspot (region)
Findspot (site)
context
CIRCUMSTANCES OF ACQUISITION
Region
City
Date of first acquisition
Dec. 31, 1996
circumstances
Meyer and Moreno 2004: In 1996 a private collector of ancient coins received a posted parcel containing 43 metal objects, supposedly lead weights from ancient Istria on the western shore of the Black Sea. These came unsolicited from an antiquities dealer based outside Britain, and given that they would otherwise most likely have been dispersed on the open market, the recipient notified the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford and deposited the package at the Department of Antiquities.
DATING OF THE WEIGHT
Curatorial Section
GREEK
,
ROMAN
Time frame
FROM
1
TO
250
Comments on Chronology
COLLECTION HISTORY
Collection
| Name | Date of acquisition | Inventory number |
|---|---|---|
| Ashmolean Museum (Oxford) | Dec. 31, 1996 | AN 2004.44 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 60, 75 | 34 | fig. 34 | None |
| Avram 2012–15 | 205–206, 247 | P77 | fig. P77 | None |
VARIA