170, Lot: 297. Estimate $100. Sold for $215. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Anonymous. Circa 10th century. Æ Weight-Tessera (19mm, 3.75 g). + DV O / TE TAP TWN. Bendall, Weights 17 note; Hendy, Studies, p. 508; cf. Göbl, Antike 234 (tetarteron). VF, dark green patina, some encrustation. See Classical Numismatic Group 69 (8 June 2005), lot 1871 for a similar piece.

The various monetiform bronze tokens are ascribed to the period following the introduction of the reduced weight gold tetarteron by Nicephorus II (963-969). Hendy has proposed the duo tetartwn as a weight for an issue of light weight coins from the reign of Basil II. However, the evidence for this "light weight coin" is debateable at best, and in any case the weights of the duo tetartwn and the tetarterwn pieces are virtually identical, with well preserved specimens of both types averaging about 3.97 grams. If these pieces are not weights, they may be tesserae for the distribution of official donations.