New Nero Claudius Drusus Sestertius

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Julius Germanicus, Mar 13, 2017.

  1. Julius Germanicus

    Julius Germanicus Well-Known Member

    After I had to return my first Sestertius of Nero Claudius Drusus because it had turned out to be an old cast (nevertheless most beautiful at that) and was very saddened by the loss (the auction house would not resell it to me at a cheaper price), I believe I found a fitting replacement for the vacancy it left in my portrait gallery.

    Here it is:

    IMG_20170311_123014885.jpg

    NERO CLAVDIVS GERMANICVS IMP
    Bare head of Nero Claudius Drusus left
    TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TR P IMP S C
    Claudius, bare-headed and togate, seated left on curule chair set on globe, holding laurel branch in outstretched right hand and a scroll in right; he places foot on cuirass, scattered at his feet and under chair are also various shields, spears and a helmet, while a sword rests upright against the globe
    Sestertius, Rome 41-42 (minted by Claudius)
    35 mm; 23,88 g; 6 h
    RIC (Claudius) 93, BMC (Claudius) 157, Cohen 8, v. Kaenel type 57
    ex Auction Dr. Busso Peus 270 (1969), lot 200

    IMG_20170311_123058097.jpg

    Nero Claudius Drusus Germanicus, the conqueror of Germania, was the favorite (adopted) son of Augustus and beloved by the people of Rome (in sharp contrast to his brother Tiberius).
    His misfortunate fall from his horse on the return from the river Elbe, which his army had reached in the vicinity of modern Magdeburg in 9 b.C., was probably the most far-reaching riding accident in the history of mankind.

    Had Drusus survived, he would have in all probability succeeded Augustus as Princeps) instead of the withdrawn and hated Tiberius) in 14 a.D.
    With an energetic Emperor Drusus in Rome instead of a seclusive Tiberius in Capri, there would have been no room for the schemes of Sejanus and the eradication of most of the Julio-Claudian dynasty (including Drusus´ son, the Caesar Germanicus).
    Drusus would undoubtedly have been succeeded by the equally able, energetic, and popular Germanicus. Then the Empire would have in all probability been inherited by Germanicus oldest son Nero Caesar (who would not have been a victim of Sejanus either), and neither Caligula nor Claudius or Nero would have become Emperors by default.
    In fact, there is no reason to doubt that the Julio-Claudian Dynasty would have thrived, flourished and ruled for hundreds of years to come (Queen Elizabeth of England in fact is a direct blood relative of William the Conqueror who died in 1066 a.D).
    With Drusus still a General in 9 ad, there would in all probability have been no inept Varus in command in Germania and probably no lost Battle in the Teutoburg Forrest.
    In any case, both Drusus and Germanicus have shown in their respective actions that neither of them would ever (Teutoburg Forrest or not) have stopped short of bringing and holding Greater Germania under Roman control and settling the Elbe, which would have been as easy to control as the Rhine, as the north-eastern border of the Empire.
    There would have been no need for a decision to stop the further extension of the Empire.
    The Migration Period that eventually brought down the Western Empire would not have happened if Germania would have consisted of Roman provinces and it´s tribes would have been as romanized as the inhabitants of Gaul or Hispania.
    After all, there would not be a compelling reason to believe why any other civilization would have replaced the Roman Empire with it´s superior administration, army, technology and culture since.

    Tell me what you think and do not hesitate to post your Drusus Maiors!
     
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  3. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    All of what you said is hypothetically true, but we will never know. In the case of some of Augustus successors, it is believed that absolute power corrupts absolutely, so there is nothing to have prevented the same happening to Druses or Germanicus or their successors. I would like to believe that it may have been different, but whose to say for sure.

    Nice coin btw. Here is my poor man's example:
    Nero Claudius Drusus 1.jpg
    NERO CLAUDIUS DRUSUS
    AE Sestertius
    OBVERSE: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP - Bare head left
    REVERSE: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TRP IMP Exe: SC - Claudius seated left, holding branch; weapons on floor
    Rome 41BC-2 AD
    28.6g, 36mm
    RIC 93
     
    TJC, Severus Alexander, TIF and 18 others like this.
  4. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    That's a VERY attractive sestertius with a ton of eye-appeal @ro1974 !!!

    My example is a bit more 'budget' friendly But I 'deleted' the photo so here's an As of both Germanicus and the other Drusus---the son of Tiberius



    drusus, son of Tiberius.jpg


    germanicus obverse.jpg germanicus reverse.jpg



    I also agree with @Bing ...It's a fascinating 'what if' of history. I suspect events would have probably been more reflective of the years under the 'Good Emperors' than the way they actually played out...but 'power', especially its corrupting influences, does seem to affect unexpected consequences that even the 'noble-hearted' can't possibly anticipate.
     
    TJC, Severus Alexander, TIF and 17 others like this.
  5. John N. Cross

    John N. Cross Member

    In fact William the Conqueror died in 1087 AD not 1066 AD.
     
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  6. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

  7. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Nice Quarter-Denarius @Julius Germanicus !

    I do not have one to post... however, I DO have his Wife...

    upload_2017-3-13_13-13-21.png
    Antonia
    AE Dupondius 28mm, 11.8gms
    Daughter of Marc Antony and Octavia, Wife of Nero Claudius Drusus. Mother of Germanicus.
    Obv: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right
    Rev: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP S-C, Claudius, togate, standing left, holding simpulum
    Ex: Brian Bucklan
     
  8. gregarious

    gregarious E Pluribus Unum

    indeed,king Harold died in the battle of Hastings that year fighting William, then know as the bastard.
     
    Mikey Zee likes this.
  9. gregarious

    gregarious E Pluribus Unum

    O, that is nice big A:) i've been looking at one 2.
     
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  10. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Yeah, I have been looking for the OP coin too... still need Nero Claudius Drusus... frustrating for me to find sometimes...
     
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  11. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    Great coins all[​IMG]
    i have his wife to
     
    Ajax, Julius Germanicus, TJC and 13 others like this.
  12. chrsmat71

    chrsmat71 I LIKE TURTLES!

    that's a very nice looking sestertius JG!
     
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  13. ancientcoinguru

    ancientcoinguru Well-Known Member

    History would have been so different if Nero Claudius Drusus was the 2nd emperor of Rome. My sestertius is far from perfect...it has some smoothing, a few small pits, and a crescent-shaped banker's mark behind head on obverse. But I was still pleased to add it to my collection.
    Nero Claudius Drusus.jpg
    Orichalcum sestertius 21.22 gm - 32 mm
     
  14. Julius Germanicus

    Julius Germanicus Well-Known Member

    Ups! You got me there... but actually you can trace it even further back: Elizabeths earliest known ancestor (and that of all present European Royalty) is Williams great-great-great-grandfather, a Scandinavian Viking chief named Rollo (846-930) :)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rollo
     
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