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Ancient Roman Imperial / Legionary Cast Silver (Ag) Military Ingot — Stamped / Incised Legio X ('X') Military Mark (10.34 g — c. 1st–3rd 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; Roman Levantine / Military Frontier Sphere (Legio X Garrison Context).
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Cast Silver (Ag) Military Currency Ingot / Legionary Pay Bullion / Denominated Trade Segment
Culture / Period: Roman Imperial Era / Roman Military Legions (Legio X Fretensis / Legio X Gemina)
Date Range: Circa 1st Century AD – 3rd Century AD (c. 50 – 300 AD)
Exact Weight: 10.34 grams (10.34 g)
Material: Cast Solid Silver / Silver Alloy (Argentum / Ag)
Form & Architecture: Dense cast D-shaped loaf segment featuring a flat base from open-mold pouring and a rounded upper profile; top face is deeply incised with a bold military emblem / numeral 'X' (Legio Decima) applied to verify legionary ownership, weight, and bullion purity
Condition: Exceptional, 100% complete ancient military condition. Intact solid silver core with uncleaned surfaces; preserved under a deep dark charcoal-grey to chestnut horn-silver oxidation patina (cerargyrite) with warm bronze undertones and subtle metallic luster on high points. Free of modern cuts, filings, or cleaning.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE
Legio X (Tenth Legion) & Roman Military Pay Bullion
During the Roman Imperial period, legions deployed on active campaigns across Judaea, Syria, and the Rhine/Danube frontiers—most notably Legio X Fretensis (stationed in Jerusalem and Syria-Palaestina) and Legio X Gemina—were supplied with cast silver bullion bars to pay soldiers, fund siege engineering, and conduct high-value military transactions. In active field camps and siege operations where official coin mints were inaccessible, silver ingots were cast in mobile armories and marked with the legionary numeral 'X'.
The Legio 'X' Mark & Metrology (10.34 g)
At 10.34 grams, this ingot represents an exact metrological fraction corresponding to three Roman denarii or a quarter uncia military bullion weight standard. The deeply cut 'X' served as an official military stamp (nota legionis), certifying that the bullion had passed quartermaster testing, verified for silver fineness, and authorized for circulation among legionary commanders and local merchants. The rich, uncleaned horn-silver patina highlights its ancient military origin.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Primary Class: Classical Antiquity Military Equipment & Bullion / Roman Silver Ingot
Sub-Class: D-Profile Loaf Segment Legio X Marked Military Bullion
Manufacturing Technique: Open stone/sand mold cast silver alloy with hand-chiseled retrograde legionary mark.
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
Israel Museum, Jerusalem: Roman Imperial silver bullion ingots and weights marked with legionary stamps excavated from Legio X Fretensis camp strata in Jerusalem.
British Museum (Accession No. 1856,0701.2210): Roman military silver trade ingot with stamped legionary numerals.
Römisch-Germanisches Zentralmuseum (Mainz): Roman military silver bullion bars and marked pay ingots from frontier garrisons.
TRN2-2
