Home  / Sextans

coin Sextans

Object number

LDSAL1232

Production date

3rd century BC

Production place

Italy

Material

Copper Alloy

Technique

Casting

Dimensions

Diameter: 30mm
Weight: 28g

Location

Burlington House -

Content description

Palm branch - obverse
'oo' - reverse

References

Reference (free text)

vol 46

Reference (free text)

p. 31
    Sextans with palm branch and 'oo' mark, in plain borders. Iguvium, Umbria mint. BMC Greek (Italy) Iguvium class 2.5.
    Roman republican copper-alloy coins (3rd century BC)
    Italy (exact provenance unknown)
    Donated on 28th November 1889 by William John Belt Esq MA FSA

    Known to antiquarians as ‘aes grave’ (heavy bronze) these coins were cast rather than struck and are made from copper-alloy (bronze). The different sizes reflect the different denominations of coin. The largest denomination was the as, which originally equated to 1 Roman pound (around 324g). Each denomination was a fraction of an as: the semis a half, triens a third, quadrans a quarter, sextans a sixth and the uncia was a twelfth. The Belt collection contains examples of each denomination: the heaviest coin weighs 397g, while the lightest weighs just 14g. The oldest in the collection date from 280-276 BC, while the newer examples date from 225-217 BC. As these coins were minted by cities or states (rather than Emperors) they show different motifs: these include Gods and Goddesses and an array of animals including horses, boars, dolphins, tortoises and sleeping dogs.