Roman Republic and Central Italy, Anonymous 4th-3rd century BCE Bronze cast aes formatum
- Obverse: Cast in the form of a cockle shell
- Reverse: Blank or incuse
Reference:
- Thurlow & Vecchi p. 20
- Burgos p. 28
Other Information:
- Before Rome developed a uniform coinage system it codified the rates of exchange for oxen and sheep in bronze. As bronze was traded by weight during this period, bronze hoards sometimes contain everyday objects such as axes, adzes, weights, and various animal shapes such as this cockleshell. We don’t know what they were originally called but we now refer to these items aes formatum. Aes formatum started to be used after the use of aes rude (small bronze lumps) and may have inspired the development of Rome’s first true coinage system, the aes grave.
- Eas Formatum are found in numurous sites around central italy but it is not known where they were produced.
