Record ID: LON-E98F21 - ROMAN token

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TOKEN

Unique ID: LON-E98F21

Object type certainty: Certain

A worn and corroded Roman copper alloy spintria, dating to the late first century BC to early first century AD. The object comprises a flat, copper alloy disc. On the obverse are two naked lovers engaged in a sexual act; the female lies on her front beneath the male who straddles her. They lie on a bed or couch decorated with a swag. The depiction is classifed as 'Scene V' by Buttrey 1973. On the reverse are the Roman numerals 'XIIII', with a dot above the last two 'I', inside a circumferential border. An exact parallel for this spintria exists in the Department of Coins and Medals' collection at the British Museum (R 4476). Although 'spintriae' are commonly identified as brothel tokens, due to the erotic nature of some scenes depicted on them, there is no evidence to suggest that they were used in such a manner. They are not mentioned in any ancient sources, nor have they been found in buildings identified as 'brothels'. It is equally likely that they acted as gaming counters, and that the erotic images on them were merely decorative. For a more detailed discussion of their function and dating, see Buttrey, T. (1973) 'The spintriae as a historical source' Numismatic Chronicle Vol. XIII, p. 52-68 and Chapter 8 in Clarke, J.R. (1998): Looking at Lovemaking: Constructions of Sexuality in Roman Art (Berkeley).

Notes:

This is an important find and exciting find for London as the majority of spintriae are unprovenanced. However, as the spintria was not found in a closed context, it is impossible to determine whether the spintria was lost during the Roman period or more recently.

It transpires that a further spintria was discovered on Skegness beach. The SMR record can be accessed at:

http://www.heritagegateway.org.uk/Gateway/Results_Single.aspx?uid=MLI41709&resourceID=1006

However, this spintria shows no signs of wear or patination, suggesting that it was not an ancient loss. The Skegness example may be an antiquarian/modern loss or perhaps a modern forgery.

This is a find of note and has been designated: National importance

Subsequent actions

Current location of find: Museum of London
Subsequent action after recording: Donated to a museum

Chronology

Broad period: ROMAN
Period from: ROMAN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Period to: ROMAN [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Date from: Circa 27 BC
Date to: Circa AD 37

Dimensions and weight

Length: 18.9 mm
Width: 17.7 mm
Thickness: 2.5 mm
Weight: 3.85 g
Quantity: 1

Materials and construction

Primary material: Copper alloy [scope notes | view all attributed records]
Completeness: Complete [scope notes | view all attributed records]

Numismatic data

No numismatic data has been recorded for this coin yet.

Spatial data

Region: South East And London
County: Greater London
District: Hammersmith And Fulham
Parish: Fulham

Restricted 4 Figure grid reference: TQ2575
The map has been degraded and provides an approximate location with a degree of random obfuscation.
Grid reference source: GPS (From FLO)
Grid reference accurate to a 100 metre square.

Method of discovery: Metal detector [scope notes]
General landuse: Open fresh water [scope notes]
Specific landuse: Running water [scope notes]

Personal details

Found by: This information is restricted for your login.
Recorded by: Miss Kath Creed - [ view all attributed records]
Identified by: Miss Kath Creed - [view all attributed records]
Secondary identifier: Dr Philippa Walton - [view all attributed records]

Other reference numbers

References cited

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