Ancient Roman Heavy Bronze Gaming Die Tessera 29.61g 100-400 AD COA Antiquity For Sale

Ancient Roman Heavy Cast Bronze Cubic Gaming Die / 1-Uncia Commercial Scale Weight (Tessera / Ponderarium) (29.61g — c. 1st–4th Century AD)

Authenticity & Guarantee

• Certification: Certified Authentic — includes signed Certificate of Authenticity (COA) with full provenance documentation.

• Provenance: Ex-private European collection, legally acquired from international sales; Classical Roman / Imperial Sphere.

Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions

• Object: Cast Bronze Cubic Gaming Die (Tessera) / Dual-Purpose Commercial Scale Weight

• Culture / Period: Roman Imperial Era

• Date Range: Circa 1st Century AD – 4th Century AD (c. 100 – 400 AD)

• Exact Mass: 29.61 grams (Matches the official Roman Uncia weight standard)

• Estimated Dimensions: Approx. 16 mm × 16 mm × 16 mm cube

• Material: Cast Bronze (Copper Alloy / High-Density Bronze)

• Form & Architecture: Solid six-sided cubic geometry; each square face features drilled circular pips / ring-and-dot indentations marking numbers 1 through 6; engineered with dense copper alloy mass balancing tavern recreation with market measurement

• Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient condition. Crisp cube geometry, sharply defined drilled pips, preserved under an authentic emerald-green malachite and sandy-tan calcareous burial patina. Free of modern restoration or tooling.

Roman Dice Mechanics & Dual-Purpose Weights

Dice games (alea) were immensely popular across Roman taverns, military camps (castra), and market plazas. While bone and lead dice were widespread, heavy bronze dice weighing exactly 29.61g served a dual role in the ancient Roman economy: functioning as a high-status gaming die (tessera) while doubling as an official 1-Uncia market scale weight for itinerant merchants.

Pip Formatting & Metrological Accuracy

The pips on Roman cubic dice were deeply drilled into the metal face, often originally filled with white lead pigment or silver inlay for visual contrast. At 29.61 grams, this piece aligns with the official Roman libra system (where 1/12th of a pound equals one uncia, nominally ~27.3g to 29.8g), demonstrating Roman engineering in combining personal luxury with civic metrology.

Typological Analysis & Exact Classification

• Primary Class: Classical Antiquity Commercial & Gaming Equipment / Roman Bronze Die Weight

• Sub-Class: Six-Sided Cubic Pitted Die / Uncia Weight Class

• Manufacturing Technique: Solid lost-wax cast copper alloy with cold-drilled face pips and hand-chiseled cube edges.

Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers

• British Museum (Accession No. 1856,0701.2295): Roman bronze gaming die / cubic scale weight.

• Museum of London (Accession No. 82.215): Roman bronze cubic die recovered from urban tavern and market strata.

• Metropolitan Museum of Art (Accession No. 74.51.5360): Roman Imperial bronze cubic commercial weight.

TRN-1-7