Acquired from JAZ Numismatics

Actually, I purchased two coins from JAZ, but I will list each in separate posts.

The first I would like to share is this nice Augustus dupondius struck at Nemausus:

AUGUSTUS
AE Dupondius
OBVERSE: IMP above, DIVI F below; back to back laureate and rostral crowned head of Agrippa left and bare head of Augustus right
REVERSE: Crocodile right, chained to palm tree behind, above palm-tip; COL-NEM across fields
Nemausus (Gaul) 10-14 AD
26mm, 14.1g
RPC 524; RIC 158

Post your crocodiles if you please!

 

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Mine was electrolyzed to absolute death and is heavily damaged. The strike is a solid 4/5 with 0/5 surfaces.

A nice example showing the original, bright brassy color. The damage reveals lots of pink, which demonstrates the high copper content, I would imagine.

 

My budgeted example.

 

Nice chunky croc on that one, JW.


Augustus, with Agrippa (27. B.C. 14 A.D.)
GAUL, Nemausus
Æ As
O: Heads of Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown and laurel wreath, and Augustus right, wearing oak wreath, back to back. IMP above, DIVI F below.
R: Crocodile right chained to palm branch with long vertical fronds; above, wreath with long ties, palms below; COL NEM flanking vertical palm.
Nemausus mint, 9-3 B.C
10.26g
27mm
RPC I 524; RIC 1 158

 

Here's mine. It's budgety:



Augustus and Agrippa. Æ dupondius, Nemausus (Nimes) mint, struck 16–10 BC; 25mm, 12.69g, 12h. RIC 155. Obv: IMP above, DIVI F below; heads of Agrippa and Augustus back to back, that of Agrippa wearing combined rostral crown and laurel wreath, that of Augustus bare. Rev: Crocodile chained to palm branch, wreath tied to palm two branches below, COL NEM (NE ligate) above. F.

 

Here's mine (well, I have another halved one):


ATB,
Aidan.

 

There are several decent crocs here. Those who have been around here a while may recall when I went on a croc phase and made one of the last pages for my website before I converted to posting here.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/impossible.html

Since that time, I added just one, upgrading my early style coin with bare headed Augustus and croc with teeth upward.

 

Here's mine. Note the link to the website classifying the several different types or styles of this coin, from different time-periods:

Augustus AE (Brass or Orichalcum) Dupondius, 9-3 BCE, Colonia Augusta Nemausus [Nîmes] (Gallia Narbonensis province) Mint. Obv. Heads of Agrippa left and Augustus right, back to back, with Agrippa wearing combined laurel wreath and rostral crown, and Augustus wearing oak wreath, IMP above heads and DIVI F below [Imperator Divi Filius] / Rev. Crocodile right standing on two palm branches, chained to palm-shoot standing behind it, with tip of shoot leaning to right; wreath above and to left of palm-shoot, with long ties extending behind shoot to right, COL - NEM to left and right of palm-shoot. “Type III” of Augustus & Agrippa/Crocodile coin (see https://multicollec.net/1-mo-h/1h04). RIC I 158 (p. 52), RPC I 524 (see https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/search/browse?volume_id=1&number=524), Sear Greek Imperial Coins 157 (D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (1982)], Sear RCV I 1730 (ill.). [See Sear RCV I at p. 337: Commemorates conquest of Egypt in 30 BCE; influenced by Augustus’s settlement of veterans of Egyptian campaign in Nemausus after colony was founded in 27 BCE.] 28 mm., 12.09 g.



Does anyone own an example of Octavian's Aegypto Capta denarius, which also features a crocodile? This one is at the British Museum:



The description identifies the coin as RIC I 275a, BMCRE I 651, BMCRR II 244, dated to 28 BCE. Without looking it up, I would guess that examples must be very expensive!

 

Looking at the first link that @DonnaML supplied, I see that I misattributed the OP coin. It's a Type 3, Sear 1730 - Laureate head of Augustus, not bare, and no PP in obverse legend.

 

Yes, it does look like the same type as mine. Technically, of course, Augustus isn't actually "laureate," because he wears an oak wreath, not a laurel wreath. Is there an equivalent adjective to "laureate" that pertains to oaks and oak wreaths? Oakeate? If not, there should be one!

 

Quercocoronated, of course.

 

You just made that up, right? But I like it!

 

That’s a beauty! Unfortunately I do not have a crocodile in my ancient coin collection.

 

It is on page 47 of Erasmus’ Adagia.

Just kidding, I made it up.

 

I like oakeate, even though it sounds like a yuppie breakfast cereal.

 

Nice crocs.

Here’s mine



Agrippa & Augustus, dupondius.
Mint Gaul Nemausus, ca 10-14 AD.
Obv. Back-to-back heads, Agrippa left, wearing rostral crown and Augustus right, laureate; IMP above, P P across fields, DIVI F below.
Rev. Crocodile right, chained to palm branch with long vertical fronds; above, wreath with long ties, palms below; COL NEM.
27 mm 13,12 g.
RIC I 160 RPC 525

 

Do NGC's surface numbers really go all the way down to zero? I don't think the surface is that bad!

 

Anywhere from $2,000-$20,000 for nice examples depending on condition, it seems, with a few not quite so nice sold for around $1,000. Out of my range, I'm afraid.

 

I love how the portraits run the gamut from very naturalistic to very cartoonish

 

...me neither bro.....but it ain't from lack o bidding on'em...(just ain't bid enough yet)