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If it was a tool for commerce you would expect them to appear all over the old Roman empire and especially in Italy but according to the article they are only ever found in the northwestern parts of Europe. Also, if the purpose was validating currency the holes would need some markings indicating which hole matches what coin, wouldn't they?

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Most of my tools around the house have minimal markings, if any. There are a zillion sizes of Allen key, and very few have the decency to mark themselves.

My measuring cups have markings are marked in paint, most of which has already worn away. Wouldn't stand a chance over millenia.

That said, you'd expect at least one or two to have informative notches for sizing. The universal dearth of text for such a common device is surprising.

And also, wouldn't they be a standard size for the region if they were for measuring coin? It sounds like each dodecahedron was different sizes.

It could have been carried by tax collectors.

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