Publisher's Synopsis
In the early 1990s a late Roman silver ingot shaped as a double axe was discovered close to the Rhine in Oedenburg in Alsace, France. Inspired by this find, this study discusses and catalogues 97 parallel silver ingots from across the Roman empire, a third of which are also double axe shaped. Particular emphasis is placed on their stamps (which mainly depict emperors), inscriptions or graffiti, their purity, their production, their function and the role of the state in their manufacture and use particularly during the 4th century AD. The possible ties between the ingots and the Roman military are also explored. German text, French and English summaries.
