#CLST6 In this #LookCloser8, I'm going to take a look at this coin minted under Augustus at Nemausus (modern day Nîmes) around 9-3 BCE. Especially early in the empire, provincial mints had more autonomy, and produce some interesting and unique coins like the one below.

According to The Royal Imperial Coinage (RIC p27), Nemausus was not strictly an imperial mint, but the ubiquity of its asses earned it de facto status as such. On its obverse, we see Augustus and Agrippa back to back (with Agrippa's distinctive jawline on the left).

The reverse contains a palm tree and crocodile, symbols of Egypt, as an early settlement of men at Nemausus had participated in Egypt's conquering, and that became the colony's civic badge (RIC p27).

There are interesting departures from coins minted under Augustus in Rome. The hair in the Nemausus coin is not as detailed or idealized as in this other coin ( http://hoodmuseum.dartmouth.edu/objects/27.1.29275#), and the rostral crowns are signifcantly thicker.

We can also see that fairly significant recessions in the die were used to form the mouths and eyes, a departure from coins minted in Rome.

These "coarser" methods don't belie artistic inferiority in the colonies, however. See the spines of the crocodile and palm tree on the reverse, carefully and meticulously carved.

What's more, the precision required to strike these fine lines is amazing. Coins were struck once with the die, with great force, so despite Nemausus being a colonial mine, the technology and attention to detail was on par with Rome.

Amazing diversity in coinage. Although it is all imperial, there exist subtle differences between mints and dies, with each colonial or provincial mint taking liberties and making their coins uniquely theirs, even though they circulated throughout the entire empire.