1 Libra = 1 Litra

Copper alloy (bronze or brass)

Cast

Truncated sphere or similar (truncated spheroid, truncated double cone, etc.)

4.40 cm

4.40 cm

2.90 cm

Mass (g)	Mass (grain)	Date of measurement	Reference	fragmented	cleaned	reference weight
309.96	-	-	RIB II	No	No	Yes

Symbol	Technique	Direction	Position	Number	Synecdoche

RIB II: Support: Type of object: Cheese-shaped weight. Material: Bronze. Dimensions: maximum diameter 44 mm, diameter at top and bottom 26 mm, height 29 mm, weight 309.096 gm. Site: Seven Sisters. Find context: Found with the Seven Sisters Hoard in the bed of a small mountain stream about 500 m east of Nant-y-Cafn farm in Dulais Higher parish. Find date: c. 1875. Other events: Part of the Seven Sisters Hoard. Modern location: Now in the National Museum of Wales in Cardiff. Institution: National Museum Cardiff: inv. no. unknown. Text field: Placement of text: On obverse. Manner of execution: Engraved. Style of lettering: In capitals. Letter heights: (not specified).

No

Language	Technique	Legend type
Latin	Incised	Denomination

(Libra) I.

ROMAN

FROM 43 TO 300

Name	Date of acquisition	Inventory number
National Museum of Cardiff	None	None

Reference	Page/Column	Reference (number)	Plate / Figure	Comment
Allen 1905	138	23	None	(non vidi)
Grimes 1939	118–119; 195–196	None	None	(non vidi)
Davies and Spratling, 1976	121–147	None	None	(non vidi)
RIB II	None	2412.96	None	None

RIB II: The object is 18.36 gm underweight for a Roman libra (5.6%) [16.4 gm underweight, 5.04%]. It has, however, as explained in the Introduction (p.2), been widely accepted as indicating the weight of a lighter ‘Celtic’ pound. That view, with only slight hesitation, is rejected here. The Seven Sisters hoard contained many horse-trappings and five tankard-handles, all with late Iron Age decoration (C. Fox, Pattern and Purpose (1958), 127-9 with fig. 78; Davies and Spratling, op. cit. passim); but it also yielded two bells, a pendant and other fittings of typically Roman form. Moreover, tankard-handles of native type (Corcoran, Proc. Prehist. Soc. xviii (1952), 96-101) have been found at Hod Hill (Durden collection), at Colchester (Sheepen Farm) (Hawkes and Hull, Camulodunum (1949), 329 fig. 60.1) in a context of a.d. 49-61 although there considered to be residual), and even at Newstead. It is also well-established that horse-trappings and other equipment of late Celtic type were used by Roman auxiliary troops (see examples in M. Macgregor, Early Celtic Art in North Britain (1976), and, for strap-junctions, Taylor and Brailsford, Proc. Prehist. Soc. li (1985), 247-72). Davies and Spratling, however, by identifying the find-spot of the hoard, have shown that the material had probably become the property of a native bronzesmith before its burial. Nevertheless, there is no doubt of its Roman associations and of a date after a.d. 43; and with these conclusions one of the chief reasons for belief in a so-called ‘Celtic pound’ disappears (see Introduction, p.00). The Neath weight lies within the margin of error found in Roman weights, which can approach 10% (compare for instance RIB 2412.104).

https://romaninscriptionsofbritain.org/inscriptions/2412.96 , https://www.trismegistos.org/text/157842