Sale: CNG 69, Lot: 2238. Estimate $300.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 8 June 2005.  Sold For $425. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

[Antiquities] ROMAN. Bone Tessera. Circa 1st-2nd century AD. 31mm, 5.20 gm. Made in Alexandria. Bare headed bust right (resembling Nero) / XIII DIONYTAC IG. Cf. Kestner-Museum, Tesseren 150. VF, amber toning. ($300)

A wide variety of these tokens are known, many found in the vicinity of Alexandria. They feature portraits (some resembling emperors from Augustus to Nero), Egyptian architectural types and other symbols, with names inscribed on the reverse accompanied by numbers from 1 to 15 in Latin and Greek. They presumably regulated the distribution of government largess.