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The numismatic chronicle and journal of the Royal ... - IndianCoins.org

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THE MINT OF LUGDUNUM. 95Although IVPPITER CONSERVATOR does notactually occur on coins <strong>of</strong> Nero, <strong>the</strong> type correspondsso closely with <strong>the</strong> o<strong>the</strong>rs <strong>of</strong> this group as to make itpractically inseparable from <strong>the</strong>m. <strong>The</strong>re is goodreason to believe that coins <strong>of</strong> Nero with <strong>the</strong> typesIVPPITER CVSTOS <strong>and</strong> IVPPITER LIBERATORwere struck at Lugdunum, since <strong>the</strong>y occur in conjunctionwith <strong>the</strong> obverse legend, IMP NERO CAESARAVC PP (cf. supra). <strong>The</strong> style <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se autonomous"' ;coins, particularly <strong>the</strong> formation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> letters, is quitein keeping with that <strong>of</strong> Lugdunum, so that it seemsreasonable to assume that in this group we havea series <strong>of</strong> coins which fillsup <strong>the</strong> gap between <strong>the</strong>death <strong>of</strong> Nero, June 9,<strong>and</strong> Galba's investiture, about<strong>the</strong> end <strong>of</strong> July, A.D. 68.<strong>The</strong> five <strong>and</strong> a half months following this latterdate are remarkable for <strong>the</strong> prolific issue <strong>of</strong> brass <strong>and</strong>copper from <strong>the</strong> senatorial mints.Galba's gold <strong>and</strong> silver appear to have been issuedfrom one, if not two, Gallic towns besides Lugdunum ;but it seems probable that his brass <strong>and</strong> copper belong<strong>and</strong> Rome/17exclusively to Lugdunum<strong>The</strong> work <strong>of</strong> distinguishing between <strong>the</strong> products<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> two senatorial mints is involved in some difficulty<strong>and</strong> is to a large extent a matter <strong>of</strong> conjecture. <strong>The</strong>variation in Galba's portrait is one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> strikingfeatures <strong>of</strong> his coinage.To <strong>the</strong> Roman mint may beassigned some eight or nine different representations<strong>of</strong> Galba, notably those that show him with moreelderly <strong>and</strong> rugged features probably <strong>the</strong> mostaccurate in point <strong>of</strong> likeness. To Lugdunum should,37For <strong>the</strong> gold <strong>and</strong> silver coins <strong>of</strong> Galba <strong>and</strong> Vitellius struck atLugdunum see Mr. Mattingly's article referred to above.

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