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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Orfew, post: 2845875, member: 74968&quot;]Wonderful coins [USER=39084]@IdesOfMarch01[/USER]. I really liked your writeup as well. Here are my 2 coins of Nero.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I knew when I started building my 12 Caesars collection that I would eventually want a pre-reform denarius of Nero. The problem is that these are quite scarce in any condition. Also, there is much competition for them the they do appear for sale. Denarii like this one were minted before Nero decided to debase the silver coinage. Pre-reform denarii like this one are at near 100% fineness. This dropped considerably after the debasement. The earlier denarii are also heavier than the post reform coinage.One reason Nero debased the coins was to make up for a shortfall in available cash because of the massive spending he committed to building projects.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This is not a perfect coin, but I like several things about it. First, I like the younger more slender portrait. Contrast this with the &quot;Fat tyrant&quot; portrait of the other Nero denarius I own. I also like that the legends are intact. True, they are worn, but they are still readable.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Nero.&nbsp; A.D. 61. AR denarius</p><p><br /></p><p>(18.40 mm, 3.37 g, 7 h).</p><p><br /></p><p>Lugdunum (Lyon) mint.</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, bare head right</p><p><br /></p><p>Rev: PONTIF MAX TR P VIII COS IIII P P, EX S C across field, Roma standing right, holding and inscribing shield supported on knee, foot on helmet; dagger and bow at feet to right.</p><p><br /></p><p>RIC 34 (R3); RSC 231. aVF, toned. Rare.</p><p>From the D. Thomas Collection;</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex Hohn Leipziger Munzhandlung. Auction 85 June 2-4 2016 Lot 1832</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex: Agora Auctons sale 68 Lot 195 August 15 2017.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]674413[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The portrait on this coin is what I like to call the &quot;Fat tyrant&quot; portrait. Earlier coins of Nero show a much more slender and younger version. Although he did not fiddle or play the lyre while Rome burned, he did mange to spend the imperial coffers quite extravagantly. His excesses, including many building projects meant that Nero had to make the silver for coins stretch to provide ample coinage for the empire. In order to do this he debased the denarii. While they were once near 100% fineness, Nero reduced this considerably. He also reduced the weight of the denarii. This is one of the reasons why some early denarii are scarce to very rare. People hoarded or melted down the earlier denarii. This includes the coins of Nero himself. While coins of Nero after the debasement are relatively easy to find (but very popular), his earlier coins are quite difficult to find. If you are interested in Nero and see a pre-reform denarius recognize that you might not see another for a while.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>This coin is also interesting because of the reverse. Notice it has both the legionary standards, and Aqilla-the legionary eagle. Vespasian was not the only one to use previous coin types. Legionary denarii were minted by Marcus Antonius. I do not know why Nero would want to recall these earlier days. However, the earlier legionary denarii were still circulating at the time of Nero&#039;s rule. they were made of poor silver and so they were exchanged many times over the years.</p><p><br /></p><p>Nero. AD 54-68. AR Denarius&nbsp; Rome mint. Struck AD 68.</p><p><br /></p><p>(17.68&nbsp; mm, 3.37 g)</p><p><br /></p><p>Obv: IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P P, Laureate head right</p><p><br /></p><p>Rev: Legionary eagle between two standards.</p><p><br /></p><p>RIC I 68 (R2); RSC 356. SRCV (2000) 1947</p><p><br /></p><p>Ex: CNG e-auction 370 lot 391 March 9, 2016</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]674417[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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