On 2/20/07, Panda Kahn <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:
The one idea we came up with is to have him involved
with the theft or trading of pigs, silver pigs.
A pig is a unit of measure used in Rome when dealing
in silver. To my limited knowledge pigs were large,
used for very large transfer of silver as currency or
for other use, and most importantly they were under
the control of the Roman government. British and
Gaulish silver was mined and made into pigs for Rome
to use before thay we melted into smaller bars or
coin.
A pig is a mass of metal, poured out of a furnace. It's a convenient
mass for the people making them, but not usually of a standard size,
except approximately. They're sometimes marked with a weight, after
they're cast. It's much easier to make a hunk of silver at the mine,
and ship it off to a mint far away, than it is to build the mint in
the wilds of England. A hunk of silver is a pretty anonymous thing,
even if it's distinctly marked. It's easy to melt down, lower melting
point than copper, and cast into something. Your typical Roman
patrician won't know how to do that, but he'll know how to find
someone to do it for him. Gold is a better choice for someone on the
run. It's historically worth about 20 times silver, ounce per ounce.
Gems and jewelry are denser, but less liquid. Jewelry, whether the
sort worn, or used in a mystery cult ritual, isn't as likely to be
melted down, and will show up as a traceable item.
--
David Scheidt
[EMAIL PROTECTED]
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