Augusta Bilbilis was a city (or municipium) founded by the Romans in the province of Hispania Tarraconensis.
Coins were minted in the city with "Augusta Bilbilis" on the reverse along with the governor's name. There were 10 minted under Augustus, four under Tiberius and one under Caligula. The most intriguing coin is one naming Lucius Aelius Sejanus as consul. COS (consul) was stamped inside a garland of oak leaves or the corona civica under the Emperor Tiberius on the reverse.
The town must have flourished with Sejanus as benefactor, but was ultimately hurt with the demise of Sejanus when he was proven to be a traitor. All statues and monuments were subject to "damnatio" along with the coinage. The coins were filed or stamped to erase his name from memory. Some very rare coins have his name still legible.
Coins were minted in the city with "Augusta Bilbilis" on the reverse along with the governor's name. There were 10 minted under Augustus, four under Tiberius and one under Caligula. The most intriguing coin is one naming Lucius Aelius Sejanus as consul. COS (consul) was stamped inside a garland of oak leaves or the corona civica under the Emperor Tiberius on the reverse.
The town must have flourished with Sejanus as benefactor, but was ultimately hurt with the demise of Sejanus when he was proven to be a traitor. All statues and monuments were subject to "damnatio" along with the coinage. The coins were filed or stamped to erase his name from memory. Some very rare coins have his name still legible.
Modern location: Calatayud, Spain
(1)
Augustus
Obverse: laureate head right; AVGVSTVS·DIVI·F PATER·PATRIAE·
Reverse: Name and titles of the duoviri around wreath; (MVN)·(AV)GVSTA·BILBILIS / L·COR·C(AL)IDO·L·SEMP.R(VT)ILO II·VIR
Diameter:
29.5 mm
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 14.1 g
Die Orientation: -
Weight: 14.1 g
L. Cor. Calidus and L. Semp. Rutilus, duoviri
ex ibercoins auction
RPC I 395; Alvarez Burgos 164, 1294; SNG München 22; SNG Copenhagen 617