aes rude

The aes rude was an ancient form of Roman and Italian currency consisting of rough, unmarked bronze masses. It was used as a metal currency from the 6th century BC, or possibly earlier, before true coinage was minted. This early form of money was literally "crude bronze".12

The development of Roman coinage began later, with true coins appearing in the 3rd century BC. Before that, values were sometimes expressed in terms of cattle, and fines were fixed in bronze, which still consisted of unworked lumps or rough bars of irregular weight. The aes rude represents a transitional stage between bartering and standardized coinage.2