Aes Formatum Acorn

Aes formatum — unworked or minimally shaped bronze lumps used as a medium of exchange before Rome's shift to struck coinage — exists in a range of organic forms, the acorn shape among the more deliberately formed. Whether these represented a proto-monetary convention or served as votive deposits remains genuinely contested. Several acorn-shaped examples have emerged from river and sanctuary contexts, suggesting ritual use ran parallel to any commercial function.

The two-century date range reflects honest uncertainty more than careless cataloging.