Chur, approx. 9/8-3 BC

Necessity is the mother of invention: After the conquest of the Alpine region by the Romans there was an acute scarcity of small change. One made do by simply cutting in half existing coins. This had also happened to this Dupondius from the time of Emperor Augustus (27 BC – 14 AD). It was found during excavations in the «Welschdörfli» in Chur.

On the intact coin a crocodile would be seen, the inscription refers to the city of Nîmes. At the time veterans of the Roman Egypt campaign were actually settled there. The exotic animal points to their military service on the Nile. To this day it adorns the municipal coat of arms as well as the polo shirt of a famous fashion label.