I do like Julio-Claudian Sestertii (their size and heft) that exhibit wear and use, and I also like the coin portraiture of Nero. So when Ken Dorney offered the following coin I snapped it up. He said I would like this sestertius, and he was right - it is the kind of Ancient coin I enjoy. Of course, Ken is a great dealer to do business with - excellent communication and prompt delivery (and no, I didn’t get a rebate for that endorsement - it is strictly voluntary). RIC Vol. I, NERO, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 356, 66-67AD, (36mm, 24.8gm) BMCRE Vol. I, NERO, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 114, 66-67AD, Obverse depiction: Nero, laureate head facing right Inscription: IMP NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TRP XIII PP Reverse depiction: Personification of Roma seated left on cuirass, resting elbow on shield and holding spear. Inscription: ROMA in exergue S C left and right
I only have one Nero sestertius but that is not for lack of desire. His sestertii are four times as expensive as his asses which, actually, seems appropriate since that was the exchange rate when they were made.
This is really a mesmerizing coin. The centering is outstanding, the portrait is artistic, the legends are mostly readable, and the details are good while not appearing to be tooled. I'm curious about the coin's patina. It doesn't appear to be a "river" patina (i.e., almost the original metal) but neither does it appear to have the more typical green or brown patina. Is the color accurate in the above picture?
Thank you, @IdesOfMarch01. The answer to your question is “no” - due to my haste in taking the pic of the coin in failing light conditions (thanks TIF). Following is a pic that I re-took very hastily (I couldn’t find my background sheet) in better light conditions - I will re-take the pic for my web page tomorrow. Added via Edit: I simply get too impatient these days.