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Currency Bar Sword
| Issuer | |
|---|---|
| Year | 200 BC - 100 BC |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Iron |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
| Thickness | Log in to see details |
| Shape | Log in to see details |
| Technique | Log in to see details |
| Orientation | Log in to see details |
| Engraver(s) | Log in to see details |
| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | Log in to see details |
| Obverse description | Plain, undecorated iron blade face, exhibiting a characteristic pinch or constriction formed a few centimetres from one terminal end of the bar, angling back toward that end to form a rudimentary hilt-like projection. The body of the bar narrows progressively along its length toward the opposite terminal, replicating the general profile of a sword. No inscriptions, symbols, or decorative elements are present in the field. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Log in to see details |
| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | Log in to see details |
| Reverse script | Log in to see details |
| Reverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Edge | Plain |
| Mint | Log in to see details |
| Mintage | Log in to see details |
| Additional information |
Currency bars of this type circulated across Iron Age Britain as a pre-coinage medium of exchange, their sword-like form reflecting the dual value iron held as both raw material and finished weapon stock. Julius Caesar noted in his Gallic Wars that the Britons used iron bars of fixed weight as currency — one of the few contemporary written references to this practice.
The weight correspondence to usable iron stock was deliberate: a bar of this mass could be worked directly into a functional blade, giving it intrinsic utility beyond symbolic exchange value.