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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
Moesian mint
Denomination
Material
Lead
Manufacture
Cast
Shape
Rectangle
Length
5.10 cm
Width
6.90 cm
Height
1.00 cm
Metrology
| Mass (g) | Mass (grain) | Date of measurement | Reference | fragmented | cleaned | reference weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 204.30 | - | Sept. 3, 2019 | Autopsy Louise Willocx | No | No | Yes |
| 204.31 | - | - | Meyer 2001–03 | No | No | No |
Iconography
| Symbol | Technique | Direction | Position | Number | Synecdoche |
|---|
Wear
Lightly worn
Corrosion
Lightly corroded
Handle
Yes
Suspension hole
Yes
Recarved mould
No
Recarved weight
No
Intentionally destroyed
No
Archaeological description
Ashmolean Museum: Lead weight.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the late Roman or Byzantine Period. Rectangular lead weight, 204.31 gr., 7.0 x 5.08 x 1.05 cm. Obv. HWA / IY[?]: within narrow, raised border. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.51. Ninety half-drachmas (solidi), according to the inscription. A handle with a cavity is attached to the upper edge. There is a line of horizontal cuts on the left border of the obverse; otherwise the object is in good condition. The inscription is in cursive writing.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape; rounded handle with an hollow (hole?) on the upper edge. Signs of wear and corrosion: some cuts, especially on the sides; strokes on the frame; hollow in the center on the obverse; little bumps and strokes with big hollows on the reverse. The sides are set at a very slight slant and the reverse is very slightly hollowed. On the obverse, frame and letters (and depiction?) in relief: HWΛ IΟΥ[?]. The reverse is blank and almost flat.
Meyer 2001–03: Weight of the late Roman or Byzantine Period. Rectangular lead weight, 204.31 gr., 7.0 x 5.08 x 1.05 cm. Obv. HWA / IY[?]: within narrow, raised border. Rev. Blank. AN 2004.51. Ninety half-drachmas (solidi), according to the inscription. A handle with a cavity is attached to the upper edge. There is a line of horizontal cuts on the left border of the obverse; otherwise the object is in good condition. The inscription is in cursive writing.
Autoptic examination: Lead weight, rectangular shape; rounded handle with an hollow (hole?) on the upper edge. Signs of wear and corrosion: some cuts, especially on the sides; strokes on the frame; hollow in the center on the obverse; little bumps and strokes with big hollows on the reverse. The sides are set at a very slight slant and the reverse is very slightly hollowed. On the obverse, frame and letters (and depiction?) in relief: HWΛ IΟΥ[?]. The reverse is blank and almost flat.
Autopsy
Yes
INSCRIPTION
| Language | Technique | Legend type |
|---|---|---|
| Greek | Relief | Unidentified |
Fac simile
HΛ IΟΥ[?]
Edition
HWΛ IΟΥ[?]
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 2004.51 |
Bibliography
| Reference | Page/Column | Reference (number) | Plate / Figure | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Meyer 2001–03 | 61, 76 | 41 | fig. 41 | None |
VARIA
Additional comment
Meyer 2001–03: Late Roman or Byzantine.
Meyer 2001–03: Denomination = 90 1/2 drachmas (solidi)?
Meyer 2001–03: Denomination = 90 1/2 drachmas (solidi)?
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