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Dug out of the Thames mud, a token Romans used to pay for their pleasure
Daily Mail ^
| Tuesday, January 3rd, 2012
| Eleanor Harding
Posted on 01/16/2012 7:09:52 PM PST by SunkenCiv
Made from bronze and smaller than a ten pence piece, the coin depicts a man and a woman engaged in an intimate act.
Historians believe it is the first example of a Roman brothel token to be found in this country.
It lay hidden in mud for almost 2,000 years until it was unearthed by an amateur archaeologist with a metal detector.
On the reverse of the token is the numeral XIIII, which experts say could indicate the holder handed over 14 small Roman coins called asses to buy it.
This would have been the equivalent of seven loaves of bread or one day's pay for a labourer in the first century AD.
The holder would then have taken the token to one of the many Londinium brothels and handed it to a sex slave in exchange for the act depicted on the coin...
Experts say there is a possibility it could also be a gaming token -- although it would be the only one in Britain to display such an explicit illustration.
Historians believe that the use of a specific image was necessary because many of the brothel slaves would not have been fluent in Latin so needed a picture to know what service their client required.
It is also thought that tokens were a way of ensuring none of the customers' money went directly to the prostitutes.
Experts say it was also illegal to take Roman coins into a brothel during the reign of first century emperor Tiberius as they carried his image.
(Excerpt) Read more at dailymail.co.uk ...
TOPICS: History; Science; Travel
KEYWORDS: biggusdikkus; brothel; epigraphyandlanguage; godsgravesglyphs; metaldetecting; naughtiusmaximus; roman; romanempire; romaneseuntdomus; thames; token; unitedkingdom
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Find: The brothel token, right, which is slightly smaller than a pound coin. It goes on display at the Museum of London
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Amateur archeologist: Regis Cursan, 37, discovered the brothel token near Putney Bridge, West London, at low tide
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1
posted on
01/16/2012 7:09:59 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
To: StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; decimon; 1010RD; 21twelve; 24Karet; 2ndDivisionVet; ...
2
posted on
01/16/2012 7:14:12 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: SunkenCiv
Historians believe that the use of a specific image was necessary because many of the brothel slaves would not have been fluent in Latin so needed a picture to know what service their client required.
Yeah, right, whatever. What kind of sex slave wouldn't have the gift of tongues???
To: SunkenCiv
An eye for an eye, an a$$ for....
4
posted on
01/16/2012 7:17:13 PM PST
by
Quickgun
(Second Amendment. The only one you can put your hands on.)
To: SunkenCiv
And here I thought it was for paying taxes...
Nevermind, the participants are facing each other.
5
posted on
01/16/2012 7:24:47 PM PST
by
Smokin' Joe
(How often God must weep at humans' folly. Stand fast. God knows what He is doing)
To: bigheadfred
What kind of sex slave wouldn't have the gift of tongues??? Gift? No freebies! Come back when you have the right coin.
6
posted on
01/16/2012 7:35:12 PM PST
by
KarlInOhio
(Herman Cain: possibly the escapee most dangerous to the Democrats since Frederick Douglass.)
To: SunkenCiv
This would have been the equivalent of seven loaves of bread or one day's pay for a labourer in the first century AD. Or, $500 in this economy today.
7
posted on
01/16/2012 7:39:44 PM PST
by
onehipdad
(Who is John Galt?)
To: SunkenCiv
How appropriate to use a coin called “ass” to pay for some.
Gee, I didn’t know that Berlusconi was that old!
To: SunkenCiv
The second oldest profession? With it’s own coin? Wow.
9
posted on
01/16/2012 7:43:07 PM PST
by
Winstons Julia
(Hello OWS? We don't need a revolution like China's; China needs a revolution like OURS.)
To: onehipdad
would buying the coin with asses,,then trading it for sex,,be the first use of,,,,”buying a piece of ass?”
To: bigheadfred
11
posted on
01/16/2012 7:44:45 PM PST
by
null and void
(Day 1091 of America's ObamaVacation from reality [Heroes aren't made, Frank, they're cornered...])
To: bigheadfred
“the gift of tongues”
Nope, that was BC (before Bill Clinton).
12
posted on
01/16/2012 7:47:36 PM PST
by
Texas Fossil
(Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
To: SunkenCiv
13
posted on
01/16/2012 8:27:13 PM PST
by
AndrewB
(FUBO)
To: SunkenCiv
Gee, I am surprised that the Romans had brothels in Britain since the entire country was then little more than a brothe1.
14
posted on
01/16/2012 8:34:03 PM PST
by
MIchaelTArchangel
(Romney ruined Massachusetts. Now he wants to ruin the nation.)
To: SunkenCiv
Must be why they’re called pieces of ass.
15
posted on
01/16/2012 8:57:34 PM PST
by
beethovenfan
(If Islam is the solution, the "problem" must be freedom.)
To: beethovenfan
The prostitutes were all slaves, and drawn from ethnic minorities — that must be why these objects came to be called tokens. ;’)
16
posted on
01/16/2012 9:13:35 PM PST
by
SunkenCiv
(FReep this FReepathon!)
To: SunkenCiv
17
posted on
01/16/2012 9:27:05 PM PST
by
bunkerhill7
(Roman hands in London? ? Who knew?)
To: SunkenCiv
It`s a Bronze 3rd Place Medal of the Roman Epicurean Olympic Games held in London A.D. 100.
18
posted on
01/16/2012 9:34:56 PM PST
by
bunkerhill7
(Roman hands in London? ? Who knew?)
To: Texas Fossil
19
posted on
01/16/2012 9:38:47 PM PST
by
preacher
(Communism has only killed 100 million people: Let's give it another chance!)
To: preacher
20
posted on
01/16/2012 9:49:05 PM PST
by
Texas Fossil
(Government, even in its best state is but a necessary evil; in its worst state an intolerable one)
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