Lead

• The Romans mined Lead from Mines in Britannia, Germania, Baetica and Sardinia.
• The Lead Ingots were stamped with the Emperor’s name and the name of the Mine or franchisee and sent to Rome where they were then sold to buyers throughout the Empire.

Description

• Metal was the Property of the State, and so of the Roman Emperor.
• The Mines were run by a Franchisee who paid the State a Lump Sum, then had to recover his Investment.
• The Finished Product was turned into Lead Ingots, which were then stamped with the Emperor’s Stamp and sent to Rome.
• Lead Ingots have been found at Docksides in both London and Arles awaiting transhipment. Britain had Lead Mines in Charterhouse in the Mendips and Carmel in Flintshire
• It seems the Mines in the West, sent the Ingots to Rome where it was exported elsewhere in the Roman Empire.
• There was probably a commodities market in Rome, where the State sold the Ingots it received.

Use

• Lead was used in sheets for lining the interior of aqueducts and to sheath the hulls of sea going vessels.
• It was used to make lead pipes for the distribution of water in towns and cities.
• Lead was also used to make dishes, pots, coins and as a base in paint manufacture.

Ingots found from Mines in Britannia:

• LONDON, Britannia Lead Ingot in the Museum of London.
  • “IMP VESPASIAN AVG” (top)”EMPEROR VESP AUGUSTUS”.
  • “BRIT EX ARG VEB” (side) “BRITISH SILVER MINES” –

• BROUGH, BRITANNIA LEAD INGOT:
  • “SOC LUT BRIT EX ARG” – “SOCIETY OF LUTUDARUM” . This was the name of the company that mined the Lead.

• CARMEL, BRITANNIA LEAD INGOT:
  • “G (gaius) NIPI P(product) ASCANI”, from Carmel in Flintshire, bearing the merchant’s name.

Ingots found from Mines in Germania:

• Found in ARLES, GAUL, a LEAD INGOT, now in the Musee de Arles Antique.
  • “IMP CAES PLUM GERM” – “EMPEROR CAESAR LEAD FROM GERMANIA”
  • “ILUCIUS FLAVIUS VERUCLA” – “AN OFFICIAL IN LOWER GERMANY” meaning the Merchant who extracted and shipped the lead

• Found in CORINTH, ACHAEA (GREECE) a LEAD INGOT found near a breakwater at Aigera, Gulf of Corinth, Greece.
  • “IMP DOMT CAESARIS AVG GER”  ‘EMPEROR DOMITIAN FROM GERMANIA’

Ingots found from Mines in Hispania:

• HISPANIA LEAD INGOT, probably from the Lead Mines located near the Rio Tinto.
  • “SOC M C PONTILIENI ORUM M F” ‘MARCUS AND CAIUS PONTILIENI AND SERVANT PHILIP’.