June 9th: SUCH AN ARTIST DIES IN ME...

He had lived thirty years and nine months, out of which he had ruled thirteen years and eight months. Of the descendants of Aeneas and of Augustus he was the last, as was plainly indicated by the fact that the laurels planted by Livia and the breed of white chickens perished shortly before his death. (Cassius Dio LXIII)


He met his death in the thirty-second year of his age, on the anniversary of the murder of Octavia, and such was the public rejoicing that the people put on liberty-caps and ran about all over the city. Yet there were some who for a long time decorated his tomb with spring and summer flowers, and now produced his statues on the rostra in the fringed toga, and now his edicts, as if he were still alive and would shortly return and deal destruction to his enemies. (Suetonius LXVII)

What can we say about the Neronian coinage ? It so so wide and varied that I do not know where to start...but here're a few facts: he instituted many reforms of the coinage. The weight of the aureus was reduced from 7.85 to 7.2g, and the production of this gold denomination was increased. The silver coinage was reduced in purity to about 93%. Nero also started producing asses in brass (orichalcum), that we can differentiate from the dupondius with the radiate style bust. After the Great Fire of 64 AD, the goal was to mint more coins more cheaply. Anyway, we say "a picture's worth a thousand words", so on the day he died, PLEASE SHOW US YOUR NERO'S COINS !

Nero As

Nero Dupondius

 

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Fun and informative write-up, as usual, @Ocatarinetabellatchitchix! This tetradrachm of Nero from Alexandria was one of my first ancient coin purchases:


Nero and Poppaea Sabina.
Roman provincial billon Tetradrachm; 23.1 mm, 11.55 g.
Egypt, Alexandria, AD 64/65.
Obv: ΝΕΡΩ ΚΛΑV ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒ ΓΕΡ ΑV, radiate head of Nero, right.
Rev: ΠΟΠΠΑΙΑ ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ, draped bust of Poppaea, right, LIA (year 11) before.
Refs: RCV 2002; SGI 664; RPC 5280; Köln 168; BMCG 124; Milne 223; Curtis 138; Cohen 315, 3; Emmett 128.

 

I mean with modern technology we can determine the exact purity of coins as well as the minute differences in weight, but did ancient people really knew that their new coins were 2-3% less pure than the older ones, or if they weighed some milligrams lower? unless the merchants and mercenaries were weighing 100 or 1000 coins at a time and could see a difference in the usual number of coins.
Anyway, here is my imperial issue with it's provincial big brother!

 

RIP, Nero, and thanks for the wonderful array of coins .


Nero
struck in Rome, CE 63
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24. Formerly slabbed (NGC)


EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero
Regnal year 14 (CE 67/8)
AE diobol; 27 mm, 10.9 gm
Obv: NEPΩKΛAVK[AIΣΣEBΓEPA]; laureate head right
Rev: L - IΔ; "vase" (Emmett), or "oinochoe" per others
Ref: Dattari-Savio Pl. 1, 2 (this coin); Dattari cf 286; RPC 5322; Emmett 153.14; Poole (BM, 1892) cf 188?; Milne -; none in a few other minor references I own. Rare.
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)
https://www.cointalk.com/threads/more-to-this-than-meets-the-eye.309276/




EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero
Contemporary counterfeit
billon tetradrachm, 23.5 mm, 12.14 gm
c. 66-67 Regnal year 13 (66/7 CE)
Obv: radiate bust right, wearing aegis
Rev: AYTOKPA; helmeted and cuirassed bust of Roma right.; LIΓ in right field
Ref: RPC 5293; Dattari-Savio Pl. 316, 34 (this coin); Metcalf, Two Alexandrian Hoards. 1. A Hoard of Forgeries from Luxor," (Revue Belge de Numismatique Vol. CXXII, 1976, pp. 65-69) Obv. IV/Rev. 4
ex Dattari collection (Giovanni Dattari, 1858-1923)

 

Dominic, Great thread with handsome coins !




******Such an artist in me dies******

 

Great thread and coins all around!
Sadly, the quote is out of context. When he said, "such an artist dies in me."
He meant it literally, as he'd just eaten the man

 

TIF, Handsome coins & great cartoon !

 

I'm also hunting a Nero denarius but until now I didn't find one to be a compromise between price and quality.

So for the moment the greatest artist of mankind is represented like this




Nero AD 54-68. Rome
As Æ
RIC 351
Date Range: AD 62 - AD 68
Obverse Legend: IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM
Type: Head of Nero, laureate, right
Portrait: Nero
Reverse Legend: S C
Type: Victory, winged, draped, moving left, holding in both hands shield inscribed S P Q R
27 mm., 8,45 g


Lydia, Sardeis
17 mm, 4.51 g
RPC 3002

 

From what I have read, the future emperor, Nerva, enjoyed Nero's poetry so he had at least one fan.



Here’s the “poet laureate” himself with the Temple to Vesta on the reverse. I’m sure that the chariot race to Nero “won” after he fell out of the cart had to be quite entertaining. The Temple to Vesta was one of the buildings Nero had re-built after his famous fire.

 

Some people fell asleep when Nero gave recitals with his Cithara hours on end:

 

NERO
AR Drachm
OBVERSE: NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERM, laureate head of Nero right.
REVERSE: DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG, Claudius' laureate head right
Struck at Caesarea, Cappodocia, 63/4AD
3.6g, 17mm
RIC 621, RSC 3, RPC 3648

NERO
AR Billon Tetradrachm
OBVERSE: ΝΕΦΡΑ ΚΛΑΒ ΚΑΗς ΣΕΜΠ, Radiate head left, wearing aegis; L IΓ to left below chin (Reginal year 13)
REVERSE: ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ ΦΌΡΟς, Galley sailing right, dolphins below
Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 66/7 AD
12.5g, 23mm
Emmett 121

NERO
AE 17
OBVERSE: NERWN KLAYDIOS KAISAR GER, draped bust right
REVERSE: QYAT-EIRH/NW-N, labrys (double axe)
Struck at Thyateira, Lydia, 55AD
2.97g, 17mm
RPC 2381; SNG von Aulock 3216; BMC 58; SNG Copenhagen 595;
SNG Munich 612; Weber 6931; Mionnet VII 596; Lindgren I 834

NERO
AE As
OBVERSE: NERO CAESAR AVG GERM IMP - Laureate head right
REVERSE: No legend - Victory advancing left, holding shield
Struck at Rome, 65AD
8.5g, 26mm
RIC 312, BMC 241, S 1976

NERO
AR Billon Tetradrachm
OBVERSE: NERW KLAV KAIS SEB GER, radiate bust right, wearing aegis
REVERSE: AVTOKPA, draped bust of Alexandria right in elephant skin headdress, LIB to right, year 12
Struck at Alexandria, Egypt, 65/6AD
10.8g, 28mm
Köln 172-174; Curtis 36-54, Dattari 204, SGI 633, RPC 5289.

 

Very nicely done, great coins, here is my small offering and only Nero.

 

Nero with mama, as divine (Myrina in Aeolis, AE17, ΘΕΩΝ ΝΕΡΩΝΑ CΕΒΑCΤΟΝ / ΘΕAΝ ΑΓΡΙΠΠΙΝΑΝ):


A denarius before debasement:


"Victory" over the Parthians, sestertius:


And the artist! (AE As):

 

Syria, Antioch. Nero AE17
Head of Nero as Apollo right / ET ΔIΡ, laurel branch. Dated Year 114 = 65/66 AD.



Alexandria, Egypt. Nero AE12
Obv: Laureate bust r.
Rev: Wreath with large I.
12mm. and 1.1gm.




Macedonia, Koinon of Thessalonica. Nero AE24
Obv: NEΡΩN KAICAΡ, young bare head left.
Rev: ΣEBAΣTOΣ MAKEΔONΩN around Macedonian shield.



Phrygia, Prymnessus. Nero. Æ 20mm.
Obv: Laureate head right; NEPO NA KAISAP A - PRYMNHSSHS.
Rev: Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales and grain ears; TI IOYLIOY PPKLOY in legend.
RPC I 3207; von Aulock, Phrygiens 1031.
Ti. Julius Proclus, magistrate.



Achaea. Corinthia, Corinth. Nero Æ20. Claudius Anaxilaus and P. Ventidius Fronto
Corinthia, Corinth. Nero. 54-68 AD. Æ 20mm . Ti. Claudius Anaxilaus and P. Ventidius Fronto, Duovirs. Struck 67-68 AD. Laureate head of Nero left / Nero stands facing within tetrastyle temple. BCD Corinth 480. SNG Copenhagen 235-236. RPC I 1208.

 

@ambr0zie, @Mammothtooth: Interesting to note that on RIC² 351 (http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.1(2).ner.351) the obverse legend starts with IMP, while on RIC² 312 (http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.1(2).ner.312) the obverse legend ends with IMP. Other than that, the obverse and reverse are the same. Mine is RIC² 312:

Rome, ca. 65 AD
25 x 26 mm, 8.829 g
RIC² 312; Cohen 288; BMC 241;

Ob.: NERO CAESAR AVG GERM IMP laureate head of Nero to r.
Rev.: Victoria flying left, holding shield inscribed S P Q R, S C across field

​

 

Do you suspect Nero, the great artist, cared how he looked on his coinage? I've seen some fun fat neck denarii, and then there are those that closely resemble how he may have looked.

Lydia, Thyateira
Obverse: NEΡΩN KΛAYΔIOC KAICAP ΓEP; Bareheaded bust of youthful Nero right.
Reverse: ΘYATEIPHNΩN; Labrys.



As with common Victory reverse and nice portrait:

 

Here is my bull-necked Nero...


AR Denarius (18 mm, 3.49 grams, 6h), Struck A.D. 64-65, Rome mint

Obverse: NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS, laureate head right
Reverse: JVPITER CVSTOS, Jupiter seated left, holding thunderbolt and scepter
References: RIC I 53; BMCRE I 74
Auction: Naville Numismatics 47 (March 3, 2019), Lot 458

 

@TIF, it's always wonderful to see your coins and your animations!

Great coins, everyone.

I have a few coins of Nero:

Two denarii, one with Salus on the reverse and the other with Iuppiter Custos:




[The Iuppiter Custos is, of course, a Frank Robinson photo -- one of these days I really must replace it!]

An As, with the Temple of Janus on the reverse:



And a tetradrachm from Alexandria in Roman Egypt, with the personification of Alexandria on the reverse wearing an elephant headdress:

 

Here's Nero with his face rudely obliterated by a Galba countermark:



Nero / Galba Æ As
(63 A.D.; c/m 69 A.D.)
NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS, laureate head right / [GENIO AVGVSTI], Genius, naked to waist, standing half-left, holding cornucopiae, [altar left]. RIC 125
Countermark: [Γ]AΛBΛ (GALBA in Greek) Howgego GIC 526
(9.77 grams / 27 mm)

Galba Countermarks:
"GALBA in Greek Letters (Martini Pangerl Collection 92).
This countermark occurs also on Provincial coins and is Howgego as GIC 526. (These) coins are in the grey zone between official coins (so called Thrakian mint) and provincial coins of the Balkan region"
(Museum of Roman CM)