Roman coins were minted by striking a molten piece of metal in a die that was carved with the coin's design. Counterfeiters would use genuine coins to make pottery molds like this example, then use the molds to case forgeries.
Details
Title: Coin Mold
Creator: Gal. Val. Maximinus Daia
Date Created: Roman Period, 307-324 AD
Physical Location: Chicago, IL
Location Created: Oxyrhynchus, Egypt
Physical Dimensions: 3.2 x 2.8 x .7 cm
Provenance: Share of finds from the Egypt Exploration Fund in 1903-1904