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Ancient Hellenistic / Early Roman Lead Tessera Theater Ticket Token (15mm — c. 3rd Century BC – 1st Century AD)
Authenticity & Guarantee
Item Specifications & Exact Dimensions
Object: Cast Lead Tessera / Civic Theater Admission Pass (Plumbum Tessera)
Culture / Period: Hellenistic to Early Roman Provincial Era
Date Range: Circa 3rd Century BC – 1st Century AD (c. 300 BC – 100 AD)
Diameter: 15 mm
Material: Cast Lead (Plumbum)
Form & Architecture: Compact circular lead token disc; obverse features a crisp raised relief classical profile bust (Apollo / Hellenistic deity or royal profile) enclosed within a deep circular framing border; uniface flat reverse engineered as a civic distribution pass or event ticket
Condition: Exceptional, complete ancient condition. Sharp relief profile detail, bold circular framing rim, preserved under an authentic thick creamy pale-tan lead carbonate (cerussite) oxidation patina with dark contrast undertones within the recessed channels. Free of modern restoration or tooling.
HISTORICAL CONTEXT & TYPOLOGICAL LORE
Hellenistic Tesserae & Civic Theater Tokens
In the Hellenistic cities of the Eastern Mediterranean and Levant, lead tokens (tesserae) served as official admission tickets for public theaters, civic assemblies, games, and temple festivals. Cast in lead by municipal authorities, these tokens were distributed to citizens to guarantee seating sections (theatron), grant access to dramatic performances, or serve as vouchers for public grain distributions.
Iconography & Uniface Design Mechanics
The obverse displays a classical profile head—typically depicting Apollo (god of music, poetry, and theater), Dionysus, a local patron deity, or a ruling Hellenistic monarch. The deep circular border was designed to protect the central relief image from excessive handling wear as tokens passed through crowd entry points. The flat, uniface reverse was standard for civic tokens cast rapidly in batch matrices for major public gatherings.
Typological Analysis & Exact Classification
Comparable Archaeological Examples & Museum Accession Numbers
British Museum (Accession No. 1920,0612.50): Hellenistic lead tessera / theater token featuring a deity profile bust.
Louvre Museum (Inv. No. AO 22401): Eastern Mediterranean lead admission token with framed classical portrait.
Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA Collection, Marisa & Caesarea Strata): Hellenistic / Early Roman lead tesserae recovered from public civic and theater contexts.
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