Rethinking Roman Spintriae : the Roman tokens in the Ashmolean Museum

This article presents the previously unpublished collection of bronze and lead tokens from the Heberden Coin Room of the Ashmolean Museum. The collection is largely comprised of Roman tokens; a handful of Athenian and unprovenanced issues are also presented here for completeness. The collection has several previously unknown types and variations that enhance our understanding of these enigmatic objects. In addition to the presentation of new material, the discussion addresses the connections between bronze and lead tokens, the use of tokens by Roman youth groups (iuvenes), and utilises new die connections to demonstrate that the so-called ‘spintriae’ were likely the product of a workshop that produced tokens for multiple groups over several years