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| Spintria, 1st Century AD, Pedigree, Copper, |
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| Sex scene., "IX", value (?), within a wreath., This erotic tessera (token), also known as a "Spintria" (plural: spintriae), was produced during the 1st century AD, mainly under the rule of Tiberius, until the end of the century, depicting a sex scene with a number on the reverse. We do not know much about them, although it is generally accepted that they were used in lupanars (brothels) to pay at the entrance, where the number on the reverse could designate a room number. A second hypothesis would be that the number displayed was a value, the tessera paying for a sexual service of the value indicated. A final hypothesis, far from being related to prostitution, suggests that these tesserae were used in public baths. In fact, they could have been used as tokens for clothes racks such as we still have today. The link was made by the presence of representations of sex scenes similar to those on these tesserae on the walls of baths in Pompeii, as well as numbers, like those on the reverse. Our knowledge, which is still incomplete, comes mainly from archaeological excavations in Pompeii and studies of the context in which they were discovered. The tesserae may have been introduced as a result of Tiberius' ban on the emperor's portrait being brought into these brothels. These tesserae could also have been intended to counterbalance this rule by serving as payment intermediaries for those who frequented the brothels. All of this remains open to interpretation, as research to date has been unable to determine the exact purpose of these objects due to a lack of reliable sources. Collection from Dr. Neussel, with notice., IX |
| FEATURES |
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| DENOMINATION | Spintria |
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| YEAR | 1st Century AD |
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| MINT NAME | Not Applicable |
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| COMPOSITION | Copper |
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| DIAMETER | 22 |
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| COIN RARITY | extremely rare |
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| EMPIRE, KINGDOM, OR CIVILIZATION | Ancient Rome, Roman Empire (27 BC – AD 476) |
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| WEIGHT (G) | 4.35 |
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