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Æ20 - Augustus ΕΠΙ ΛΑΚΩΝΟϹ
| Issuer | Sparta (Lacedaemon), Achaea |
|---|---|
| Year | 2 BC - 31 AD |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bearded male head facing right, with thick, wavy hair rendered in an archaic Spartan style, likely representing Zeus or a Spartan deity associated with Lacedaemon. The legend ΛΑ appears in the left field, serving as an abbreviated ethnic reference to the Lacedaemonians. The coin's flan is irregular, and the surface shows a distinctive green patina consistent with provincial bronze coinage of the Augustan period. |
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| Reverse script | Greek |
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| Additional information |
The magistrate name ΛΑΚΩΝ (Lakon) appearing in the inscription places this issue within Sparta's autonomous civic coinage under Roman oversight — a privilege Augustus extended selectively to cities with strong historical identities, and one Sparta traded on aggressively, still marketing itself to Roman tourists as a living museum of Lacedaemonian austerity well into the imperial period. The city had backed Antony at Actium, which makes any Augustan-era Spartan bronze a product of a carefully negotiated rehabilitation.