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82 E. A. SYDENHAM.36 (TR-POT-XVII to XXXVIII cf. ; supra, Nos. 58 and59). A slight change of style occurs in these coinsafter A.D. 33, but it should be noted that it takes placegradually, through a period of transition. Sig. Laffranchi27 notices this, and also points out that the styleof the quinarii of A.D. 34-6 corresponds closely withthat of the senatorial asses of the same date. He concludes,however, that during these years both asses andquinarii were struck in Rome. But, in the case of thequinarii, the inherent improbabilityof Tiberius encroachingon the traditions of the Roman mint to theextent of transferring the machinery for the issue of28the imperial coinage to the capital, and also the factthat the change of stj'le occurs not suddenly butgradually, strongly support the view, originally stated,that the entire series belongs to Lugdunum. Thatbeing so, it will be seen that we have further evidencefor assigning the group of asses, similar in style to thelater quinarii, to the same mint.(3) The characteristic features, to which we havealluded, in the asses dated A.D. 34-6,i.e. the flatnessof portraiture and irregularity of lettering, can betraced distinctly on senatorial coins of Caligula, Germanicus,Claudius, Drusus, and Nero.Under the lastmentioned there is no question that Lugdunum wasthe place of mintage (vide infra), and although argumentsbased purely on considerations of style are notalways conclusive, these peculiarities are neverthelesssufficiently marked to suggest that the coins are non-Roman, and their continuance through the reigns27 Laffranchi, op. cit., vid. pi. ii.28Caligula appears to have been the firstemperor to make theinnovation of striking gold and silver in Rome.