Nomos 10

Augustus, 27 BC - AD 14. As (Bronze, 26mm, 13.09 g 9), with Agrippa, Nemausus, 10-14. IMP / P-P / DIVI F above, to left and right and below heads of Agrippa to left and Augustus to right back to back, that of Agrippa wearing combined rostral crown and laurel wreath, that of Augustus oak-wreathed. Rev. COL NEM to left and right of palm-shoot, its tip to right, behind chained crocodile; above palm-tip, wreath with long ties. RIC 160. RPC 525. Well struck and with a lovely dark green patina. Extremely fine.

From a French collection.

This is a fine representative of the coinage of the Roman colony of Nemausus, modern Nîmes. The colony was founded in order to settle veteran troops who had served in the armies of Octavian and Agrippa - thus their portraits on the obverse (Agrippa’s rostral crown recalls his victories as admiral of Octavian’s fleet). The crocodile on the reverse is a reference to the conquest of Egypt (the type has been reused as the modern city’s badge).