Anonymous issues, 4th century. Tessera (Bronze, 15 mm, 1.35 g, 12 h). [...] PROVI-DENTIA Head of Providentia (?) to right. Rev. Ithyphallic donkey standing to right, led on a leash by a male figure and driven from behind by another figure using a branch; above, a star. Apparently unpublished and unique, a very unusual piece. Pierced, otherwise, very fine.


At first glance, this remarkable little tessera recalls the anonymous quarter folles from the time of Maximinus, or the festival issues dedicated to Isis from a slightly later period. Yet the piece’s charming, if somewhat awkward, style - and its highly unusual reverse - suggest a private issue. The obverse features a female bust, likely that of Providentia as indicated by the inscription, while the reverse shows an ithyphallic donkey being led and driven by two figures. The meaning of the scene remains obscure, though a link to staged Dionysian mythology is plausible. Alternatively, it may represent a satirical interpretation, parodying such processions.