Central Italy, 5th - 4th Century BC
Roman Republican Aes Rudes (or Aes Infectum)
AES Rude: The First Roman "coin." Unformed cast bronze fragment. These specimens belonged to turn-of-the-century collector involved in excavations of Gubbio in Umbria, central Italy, not far from Perugia. In ancient times the city was called Eugubium, which translates to "Of the Umbri." The mountain above the town is called "Foce" and was the site for hundreds of years of pagan rituals of the Cult of the Umbri and goes back to pre-Etruscan civilizations. "Tradition assigned the institution of the Roman coinage to the period of the kings Servius Tullus and Numa." Pliny quotes Timaeus of Tauromenium in an inconsistent and confused account of the establishment of Rome's coinage and called these lumps of irregular weighing bronzes without official stamp or mark of value as Aes Rude or Aes Infectum.
Fifth century Rome did see the official valuation of bronze at equivalents of oxen and sheep, when in c. 450 the decemvirs codified the Roman Law in the famous 'Twelve Tablets' which recognized the bronze currency in use in central Italy (i.e., 1000 Asserae= 1 ox, 100 lbs of bronze = 1 ox, 10 Asserae= 1 sheep, etc). A system of barter with copper objects had long existed in Central Italy where copper was plentiful and valued while silver was rare and gold nonexistent. The Italic population had produced Aes Rude from very early times and they are often found in hoards of votive deposits to divinities of fountains and rivers from the first half of the 1st millennium B.C. down to the end of the 4th century B.C. Reference: Thurlow-Vecchi p. 15, pl. 2 (as made).
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Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC. Nice collection of bronze Aes Rudes.
All with nice color, not represented well in this photo. Some are very thick... reflected in the weights listed for each.
#CR2188 - (indicate # below upon ordering). #1 SOLD, #8 SOLD, all others available!
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Early Roman Republic, c. 4th Century BC.
Fantastic cast-bronze "Aes Formatum". Formed in the shape of an animal in profile. Extremely interesting and very rare. Large 53 mm (2 1/16"), 23.36 g. Nice olive-green patina with light earthen deposits. Named "aes formatum" by Haeberlin, this very rare bronze currency was a precursor to the issues of aes grave but later than aes rude. Ex-Spanish private collection. #CR2603: $325 SOLD
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Related terms: ancient Roman aes rudes, as rude coins, bronze aes infectum, Roman republican coins, authentic Rome artifacts for sale, ancient artifacts Los Angeles
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Documented hoard found during turn-of-the-century excavations near Gubbio, Umbria.
Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC.
Aes Rude. 27 mm; 12.3 g. #768: $55 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC.
Aes Rude. 26 mm; 14.0 g. #772: $60 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC.
Aes Rude. 20 mm; 9.2 g. #767: $55 SOLD
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Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC.
Aes Rude. 16 mm; 7.0 g. #765: $35 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-3rd century BC.
Aes Rude. 20 mm; 6.0 g. #766: $45 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-4th century BC.
Aes Rude. 22 mm, 6.51 g. Nice red to light green surfaces. #CR2189: $99 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-4th century BC.
Aes Rude. Long and rectangular 42 mm, 22.00 g. Light olive-green patina with earthen deposits. #CR2190: $145 SOLD
Roman Republic, 5th-4th century BC.
Small bronze Aes Rude. 26 mm, 14.0 g. #772: $60 SOLD
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