Augustus & Agrippa
Gaul, Nemausus, c. CE 10-14
AE dupondius
Obv: IMP/DIVI F P-P, back-to-back heads of Agrippa, in combined rostral crown & laurel wreath, and Augustus, laureate
Rev: COL-NEM, long, vertical palm with crocodile chained below, wreath to left of palm tip with ties trailing to right
Ref: RIC 160
ex Stack’s Bowers and Ponterio, The August 2013 Chicago ANA World's Fair of Money - Session F , lot 34098, 20 August 2013
ex Professor James R. Eaton (1834-1897) Collection; this coin was in his family until I purchased it from Stack's. Bio of Professor Eaton here.
An interesting an popular type. It was a surprise to find this in a lot of 12 coins listed as "an impressive mix of Ptolemaic Egypt bronze pieces". The photograph showed 8 of the 12 coins in a pile. In retrospect, the COL-NEM is partly visible underneath other coins. The photo also showed a couple of Alexandrian tetradrachms so I knew the lot description wasn't exactly correct...
At some point I'll upgrade this coin. Choices are plentiful but most have some problems: wear, strike, centering, flan scratches, etc. Many have been cut in half, which is interesting in itself.
Doug Smith has an interesting page detailing challenges in grading ancient coins, using these COL-NEMs as examples.