Uncertain. AE Cube (Bronze, 26x26x27 mm, 162.56 g), all faces engraved with the imprints of Roman denarii, after 165. A highly interesting and enigmatic object, well preserved and with an attractive green patina. Good very fine.
From a Swiss collection, privately acquired in Switzerland some 30 years ago.
This enigmatic bronze cube bears the incuse imprints of three obverses and three reverses of Roman denarii on its faces, described here in two groups of chronological order:
Obverses
a) ANTONINVS AVG PIVS P P Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. 139-158/9.
b) ANTONI... AVGVSTVS P P Laureate head of Antoninus Pius to right. Unknown on official issues and hence of uncertain date (the ending is reminiscent of Hadrian).
c) [AVREL]IVS CA[ESAR (or CAES?)] ANTONIN... Bare head of Marcus Aurelius to right. Uncertain date after 161, as the legend names him Caesar but the portrait is from his time as Augustus.
Reverses
d) COS IIII Clasped right hands before caduceus and two grain ears. Reverse of Antoninus Pius, 145-147 (RIC 136).
e) COS IIII Fortuna standing front, head to left, holding rudder in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left. Reverse of Antoninus Pius, 148-149 (RIC 179), 149-150 (RIC 188) or 150-151 (RIC 194).
f) [T]R P [V] - IMP II COS II Roma standing front, head to left, holding Victory in her right hand and trophy in her left. Reverse of Lucius Verus, 165 (RIC 537).
Exactly what this enigmatic object was made for unfortunately eludes the knowledge of this cataloguer. While all images are mirrored and incuse, it is certainly not a die, and it cannot have served as a casting mold of a forger either, as these were - for obvious reasons - not made of metal but of clay. In addition, only the imprint with the portrait of Marcus Aurelius is sunken into the cube, whereas the others are engraved into its flat faces. The types are copied from Roman denarii of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Auelius and Lucius Verus which were struck in the 140s-160s, with the last datable type and
terminus post quem being a reverse of Lucius Verus from 165. The wild mix of types spanning at least two decades as well as the inclusion two obverses which do not occur on official coins clearly point toward an irregular product of some sort. However, the style of the imprints is excellent, and so close to official denarii that one cannot help but wonder if artists working in the mint of Rome were involved in the production of the cube, whatever its purpose may have been.
