This bronze coin is an *as* dating from the reign of the Roman Emperor Tiberius, who ruled Rome between AD 15 and 37. The *as*, which had been the standard bronze coin of the Roman Republic, became a coin used for small transactions; sixteen *asses* were equivalent to one silver *denarius*. These coins weighed approximately 11 grams and had a diameter of around 27 millimeters. It was minted in the city of Augusta Emerita (modern-day Mérida), the capital and administrative center of Lusitania one of the three provinces into which the Roman Empire divided Hispania, alongside Baetica and Tarraconensis.
The reverse of the coin depicts the city gates of Augusta Emerita in a frontal view. In the center, two twin gateways framed by semicircular arches are flanked by two towers. Above, a crenellated arch connecting the towers represents the city's perimeter wall in a schematic, forced perspective. A circular inscription surrounds this motif: ·COL· AVGVSTA· EMERITA. The inscription indicates both the city's name and its legal status, as Augusta Emerita was a *Colonia* (COL) a settlement founded for veterans (*emeriti*) of the Hispanic legions. It held the legal status of *ius Italicum* (Italic right), meaning its inhabitants enjoyed full Roman citizenship. Its magnificent urban layout which remains preserved to this day, featuring a theater, amphitheater, temples, a forum, bridges, and aqueducts undoubtedly earned it the title of the "Rome of Hispania."
National Mint Museum (Museo Casa de la Moneda)
