Self-portrait with Nero as Apollo

Gavin, Congrats for finally securing your Nero sestertius ! I stopped buying from overseas vendors because of excessively long delivery times . I've had several nice Antioch tetradrachms of Nero, the one pictured below I decided to keep .

 

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I remember bidding on a couple of these unsuccessfully before realizing there could be several millimeters difference in size. I prefer the larger coin, so I had to be a bit more intentional about reading the description details.

 

There does seem to be a noticeable range of sizes for the various AE Asses, at least from example to example (haven't checked on issue to issue). I've seen some examples under 5g. Occasionally you see these types described as "Semis," but I assume those should be As. The confusion is probably helped by the fact that they came with both laureate and radiate obverses, and radiate could signal a "half" denomination as well as a "double," though apparently not very consistently during Nero's reign.

(I had understood that radiate heads started to symbolize Dupondius under Tiberius. If so, Nero is an interesting departure. My hypothesis would be that Nero liked the radiate crown so much that he couldn't be limited by convention. From what I've read, Nero liked having himself portrayed radiate on statues, etc., often as Helios or the other sun god Apollo, though according to Wikipedia it was only under Vespasian that the Colossus of Nero was given its radiate crown.)

 

Interesting type for Nero. I lucked into one in a lot on eBay for five bucks, but it has some condition issues, of course. This one is a bust left, and I had some difficulty attributing it because of missing/corroded legends - the "small globe" at the tip of the bust is more my imagination than actually seeing it:


Nero Æ As
(62-68 A.D.)
Lugdunum Mint
NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG [GERMA]NICV, bare head left; small globe at point of neck / PONTIF MAX [T]R PO[T IMP PP] S C , Nero as Apollo Citharoedus advancing right.
RIC 385 (?) (GERMANICV)
(10.74 grams / 28 mm)
eBay July 2018 Lot @ $5.00

 

That’s quite a bargain, even in the low-grade. That’s a recognizable reverse. It’s hard to find that reverse nicely struck without paying several hundred dollars. I was pleased that I can count the strings on the lyre on my coin. Once again, my coin has a strong strike, weak patina.

 

Thank you, Gavin. It was one of those lucky moments on eBay - I've long admired the type but saw what they usually went for and so thought I'd never find one.

 

Very nice @Gavin Richardson !

Here is a Nero


RI
Nero billon tetradrachm of Alexandria Egypt,
r. bust of Poppea,
LI ry.10 63-64AD
Milne 217, RPC 5275
obv. Radiate head of Nero right
rev. Draped bust of Poppea right, LI before
diameter: 23mm
weight: 12.8g

 

Re-opening this old thread...

I have LONG wanted a Nero with a lyre but the prices have steered me away. However I recently had opportunity to buy a decent example at a fair price.

I'm not certain of its attribution. It's 27 mm and 9.2 gr. I've narrowed it down to 'just' (LOL!) 5 possibilities: RIC 381, 385, 417, 453, or 455. :-o The wear on key portions of the obverse makes it difficult for my eyes to determine. :-(



Any help would be GREATLY appreciated!

Regardless, I'm thrilled to add this coin to my collection.

*** Edited to add additional RIC cite numbers as possibilities ***

 

Ah, so it was you who got this one! I've also been looking for this type and noticed it on the dealer's site too late. Congrats, it's a great coin for the price!

 

Thanks! I feel sure I lassoed it within a half-hour of it being listed. I checked the new listings that afternoon, but then just a half-hour later decided to check again -- and there it was!

It was one of those purchases where you see a type you have long-wanted, you have knowledge of the relative cost for such a type, your mind quickly puts that info together with the listed coin's condition/quality, and a bell loudly sounds in your head to buy immediately. No time (or need) to ponder, consider, compare, or even inquire to the seller for a discount because you know that it's a fair deal -- and if you don't promptly click "Add to Cart" someone else will do so shortly. :-D I love it when that happens! In fact it happened to me just 3 weeks prior with the same dealer (Incitatus)! See:

 

My slow and awkward sleuthing has pointed me to an attribution of RIC I 417.

Of the 5 possibilities which I had narrowed it down to (based on its devices), #417 is the only one with an obverse legend that ends with "...CVS". And if I'm reading the worn lettering correctly, my new example does indeed end with 'CVS' at 6 o'clock just before the round little globe at 7 o'clock. (BTW: This is not a subtle advertisement for any specific drug store.) ;-)

Below are two images of the lower half of my example's obverse:



And here are the very similar possibilities for left-facing obverse Nero portraits paired with Apollo Citharoedus playing stringed-instrument reverse:



If I'm wrong please don't hesitate to offer a correction.

 

I must have missed this original thread. I want one too now! What a great coin. Would make an excellent library display.

 

I missed this thread too, and what a nice example of the type, @Gavin Richardson. It has a similar patina to my Macellum example.

Here are the small AE of Nero in my collection.

 

I saw that one too late. I think I would’ve bought it. In some ways I like it better than mine even though I paid four times the price. Great catch.