The Brothel Token

Courtesy of the UK Searcher Magazine

A video report from LondonTonight 4th January 2012

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PAS Database Record

 A worn and corroded Roman copper alloy spintria, dating to the late first century BC to early first century AD. The object comprises a flat, copper alloy disc. On the obverse are two naked lovers engaged in a sexual act; the female lies on her front beneath the male who straddles her. They lie on a bed or couch decorated with a swag. The depiction is classifed as ‘Scene V’ by Buttrey 1973. On the reverse are the Roman numerals ‘XIIII’, with a dot above the last two ‘I’, inside a circumferential border. An exact parallel for this spintria exists in the Department of Coins and Medals’ collection at the British Museum (R 4476). Although ‘spintriae’ are commonly identified as brothel tokens, due to the erotic nature of some scenes depicted on them, there is no evidence to suggest that they were used in such a manner. They are not mentioned in any ancient sources, nor have they been found in buildings identified as ‘brothels’. It is equally likely that they acted as gaming counters, and that the erotic images on them were merely decorative. For a more detailed discussion of their function and dating, see Buttrey, T. (1973) ‘The spintriae as a historical source’ Numismatic Chronicle Vol. XIII, p. 52-68 and Chapter 8 in Clarke, J.R. (1998): Looking at Lovemaking: Constructions of Sexuality in Roman Art (Berkeley).

Notes:

This is an important find and exciting find for London as the majority of spintriae are unprovenanced. However, as the spintria was not found in a closed context, it is impossible to determine whether the spintria was lost during the Roman period or more recently.

Record LON-E98F21 on the PAS database

Regis – Frenchman, Pastry Chef and Mudlarker

Regis Cursan
Nobu Restaurants’ executive pastry chef is the first non-British member of the hard-to-join Mudlark Club

In His Own Words …

I started metal detecting when I was 18. I also enjoy mudlarking, which involves searching for things without a metal detector. I learned this technique while serving in the French armed forces in Guyana. One day, I saw an old lady picking up gold nuggets after it had rained. That inspired me to search for things without relying solely on a metal detector. I continued metal detecting when I returned to France. In 1999, I moved to the UK but didn’t have much time or money to travel long distances for metal detecting. So, I became a hunter with limited resources.

Spintria or Brothel Token – Courtesy of PAS

I thought: “Where can I go?” Not the park, because you cannot dig there, but anyone can go down to the River Thames, although you need a permit to dig. The most interesting thing I have found so far was a Roman brothel coin near Putney Bridge in 2011. I heard a good signal so I dug and when I first saw it I thought it must be an ordinary Roman coin because of the size and thickness. When I wiped off the mud with my fingers I saw Roman numerals on one side and what I thought was a picture of a goddess on the other.

It turned out not to be a goddess but a picture of two people having sex! When I got home I did a bit of internet research and found out it was a token used to pay for the services of prostitutes 2,000 years ago. I donated it to the Museum of London and when they confirmed what it was everything went a bit crazy. It was the first brothel coin found in Britain.

Other things I have found include lots of coins and rings, pots, glass inkwells, bones and pipe stems but I don’t like to collect things. I give them all away. I have one long pipe that I found. Bits of broken pipes are very common as they were sold already filled with tobacco in the 16th century and people would just throw them away afterwards, but a whole one is rare.

I love searching for new things. The excitement of not knowing what I’ll find keeps me going. It takes patience and a calm mind to spot hidden treasures. Using a metal detector helps, but it’s not always clear what you’ve found. You have to learn to listen for the right signals. It’s like a treasure hunt!

There are a few artefacts I would like to find, things from the 16th century: a pulley they used on boats, the lead they used to throw in the water to find the depth. I have simple tastes. I like these things because they are linked to travel and going to the New World. It makes you dream.”

Award-Winning Pastry Chef as well as Detectorist

This find was widely reported, of course. Here’s a sample from The History Blog. Barford had a field day as you can imagine, and doubted whether the Roman token was genuine.

Accolades

At the time of this report Regis was Nobu’s UK Executive Head Pastry Head Chef with many accolades to his name … like these beautiful hand-made chocolate Easter eggs, the likes of which I’ve never seen before. Here’s a couple of examples of his fine work.

At Easter 2014 Regis gave the classic chocolate egg a Michelin-star make-over.

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