For sharing fascinating artifacts and replicas

These are really interesting coins and I'm curious to know more. This looks like a provincial (Gaul?) issue of Augustus/Agrippa with a Nile alligator on the reverse. https://www.cointalk.com/threads/augustus-agrippa-with-crocodile-tied-to-palm-tree.269239/
https://coinweek.com/ancient-coin-profiles-roman-provincial-bronze-dupondius-augustus-agrippa-crocodile/

The countermark (circle with cross inside) makes it doubly interesting. I've heard that these control marks were a way to validate the acceptability of foreign currency and allow it to be traded locally. For example, if I were a merchant from Gaul travelling to a city in Iberia, I'd let the local inspector check my cash for weight and metal content and they'd mark it with a local symbol to assure everyone that it could be traded as legal tender.

https://www.forumancientcoins.com/numiswiki/view.asp?key=countermark

There are alternate explanations for the countermarks! It's interesting that the mark is applied to the face of Augustus on both coins. Maybe this was a political statement? Maybe the locals liked him better than Augustus? It might be telling if all of the coins with this mark were found on the same guy's face.

You might consider cross posting this to https://kbin.social/m/AncientCoins

It's not an active community, but it never will be without content to use as a starting point.