Description
| Roman Imperial. Augustus (27 BC-AD 14). As, 15-10 BC, Lugdunum mint. | |
| Obverse: | CAESAR PONT MAX. Laureate head of Augustus right. |
| Reverse: | ROM ET AVG. Front elevation of the Altar of Lugdunum, decorated with the corona civica in the middle between laurels and stylized figures, flanked by columns surmounted by statues of Victory facing each another and holding a palm frond with her right hand and wreath in her left. |
| Dimensions: | AE, 9.10 g, 26 mm, 12h. |
| References: | RIC 230; BMC 550; Cohen 240. |
| Condition: | Dark brown, almost black patina, minor spots of corrosion, slightly off center. Very fine. |
| Provenance: | From a German private collection. |
| Comment: | This coin type, minted in Lugdunum, was very popular in Gallia. It was introduced by Augustus and later continued by Tiberius with his portrait. It depicts on the reverse the Ara trium Galliarum in Lugdunum (todays Lyon, France). It was established by Rome in the late 1st century BC. As depicted on the coin, the altar was dedicated to Rome and Augustus. These coins are important for the reconstruction of the building structure, because almost no archeological evidence of it is preserved. |
