144. The heavy Asses were always cast as were also their subdivisions. At a certain time although casting was used for the larger coins (Asses and Semisses) striking was introduced for the smaller coinage and at last when the uncial As was introduced striking was altogether substituted for casting. 145. THE SUBDIVISIONS OF THE AS. Among the subdivisions of the As some are met with differing to those common to all the series, for instance. These pieces however may be regarded as exceptional. 146. The ROMAN TALENT (money of account) corresponded to one hundred Libral Asses, hence kg. 32.740 was divided into 60 mini of 545 grammes each and was generally called centupondium. 147. The SUCCESSIVE WEIGHTS OF THE AS. We here give a table of the weights of the Asses in the different periods based upon what has been said in this chapter (§ 132139). 148. QUADRILATERAL PIECES. We must now proceed to consider those bronze quadrilateral pieces which resemble a little brick and have been called quadrusses and quincusses according as by their weight they were considered worth four or five Asses. For a long time they were considered to belong to a period earlier than that of the lenticular As; now however either because the art shewn on them does not appear to be archaic, or because the designs found upon them must be attributed to a more recent period, we must consider them as most probably contemporaneous with the Decussis Tripondius and Dupondius. On them we see represented symbols and allusions to antique objects of exchange or to the victories of the Roman armies, to sacrifices, augurs, or the attributes of the deities. Thus we find on them figures of a bull, a hog, an elephant, the sacred chickens, a sword, a thunderbolt, a trident, a tripod, an eagle and other such emblems. |