Second Triumvirate - Colonia Victrix Julia Lepida

My second bronze coin from this Roman veterans colony located in Hispania Tarraconensis. The colony was established in 44 BC by the Roman Governor (Triumvir) Marcus Æmilius Lepidus for the discharged veterans of Cæsar's many campaigns. The retirees received land grants, a small pension and best of all ....... Roman citizenship !

(No doubt this must have made the "boys" rather popular with some of the ladies
at the big Saturday night socials !)

Anyhow ......
I have been waiting myself a few years for the right 'girl' to come along
(I likes 'em green)
and so here she is !

Æ30 COLONIA VICTRIX IVLIA LEPIDA
Second Triumvirate;
Hispania Tarraconensis
Governor Marcus Æmilius Lepidus
Obv. COL VIC IVL LEP
Draped bust of Victory right, palm over left shoulder
Rv. PR QVIN / M FVL C OTAC (M Fulvius & C Otacilius)
Priest with yoke of two oxen right, plowing the pomerium (sacred boundary) founding the new colony
Minted 44-36 BC
15.37 grams 28-30mm
RPC I 261 SNG Cop 535 Villaronga 18




By 36 BC Octavian fallen out with Lepidus in the aftermath of the Sicilian revolt of Sextus Pompey. The name of Lepidus was removed and the Iberian name of the city was restored (Colonia Victrix Jvlia Celsa) to "Celsa" and Lepidus was himself "retired" to a secure location outside of Rome.
While the opinions of the character of Lepidus have tended toward the negative, he did live out his years in relative obscurity and seems to have died a natural death. His son was later implicated in a conspiracy against Augustus and paid the usual price, but despite the fact his wife Fulvia was also implicated, Lepidus appears to have been able to use what remaining influence he had to allow her to "walk".
Unusual for those times