Roman coin celebrating pederasty
While the exact use of these tokens remains a subject of ongoing debate among modern historians, several primary theories exist:
Brothel Tokens: The most popular theory is that they served as payment or entry vouchers for ancient brothels (lupanaria). According to historical lore, carrying standard Roman currency featuring the head of the divine Emperor into a house of ill-repute was considered a severe insult to imperial authority and potentially punishable by law. Therefore, these custom tokens were exchanged beforehand to circumvent the restriction.
Overcoming Language Barriers: Historians also suggest that the explicit illustrations allowed foreign travelers, merchants, and soldiers stationed across the Roman Empire to request services without needing to speak Latin. The reverse numeral likely represented the specific price or valuation of the act shown.