Nerva

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Ajax, Feb 17, 2017.

  1. randygeki

    randygeki Coin Collector

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  3. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    My favourite Nerva is a fouree. We have the obverse COS IIII with a Trajan reverse COS II. Under the scope the colours are fabulous.
    [​IMG] [​IMG]
    [​IMG]
     
  4. Andres2

    Andres2 Well-Known Member

    Pretty rough Nerva As:

    P1160420.JPG
     
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  5. Jwt708

    Jwt708 Well-Known Member

    What a cool gift!
     
    Ajax likes this.
  6. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    The interesting thing here in my view is the reversal of generations. We are more accustomed to millennials who don't understand the old man's hobby of collecting but humor him. I for one would be thrilled to have a child/grandchild who had the slightest interest in Nerva or 200 other famous Romans rather than at least that many stars of You Tube. Having two generations who respect each other's hobby is special.

    As for the coin: Great choice! How did your father come to select Nerva? I find him to be a particularly significant figure among the less than common personalities. He ruled for a very short time but 'invented' the concept of selecting a successor worthy of the position rather than from a DNA test. Without Nerva, we would have had no Trajan/Hadrian/Pius "good" emperors that made Rome the place to be if only for a little less than a century. We can not include Marcus Aurelius as a "good" because of what he did to history by having a son. How would history have been different if Aurelius had been childless? Might he have adopted Pescennius Niger or Pertinax (names to drop within earshot of your father)?

    Nerva coins are 'graded' like all others on preservation but also based on style. The uglier the portrait, the better we like the coin. The examples shown by the members above demonstrate the range available. Your coin is pretty good or should I say pretty ugly in terms of the nose??? I really would like to know what he really looked like.
    denarius
    rc1600bb0377.jpg

    dupondius
    rc1620bb1715.jpg

    Another point to consider for those shopping for a Nerva is the fact that the early coins of Nerva's successor Trajan bear the name Nerva and borrow a bit of the facial structure until the mint workers got used to cutting dies with the new features. The denarius below demonstrates a trap waiting for those who buy without reading the whole legend. Coins like this but with unfortunate centering have been known to be sold for something they are not.
    rc1630b00122lg.jpg
     
  7. TJC

    TJC Well-Known Member

    Great OP nerva!! I do not have one to share.
     
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  8. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    Super gift @Ajax !!

    Great posts guys!!

    Besides getting a cool coin of Nerva, the significance of who gave it to you will only grow as the years pass. I think there are only two members of my remaining family that show any real interest in coins, let alone ancients---two nephews, but one seems more interested in their resale value than their historical relevance. Both nephews are getting 'old' since they are now 'thirty something' LOL

    Here's a copper As I grabbed because of the low cost and denomination (struck circa 97 AD) with another currently on bid:

    nerva as publica obverse.JPG Nerva as publica reverse.JPG
     
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  9. Nemo

    Nemo Well-Known Member

    That Trajan denarius is a nice rarity Doug. I love that reverse scene. Nerva, the lawyer with no military experience who had trouble controlling the legions, stands togate, handing the world to Trajan, the accomplished commander in military dress.
     
  10. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    Thanks. That is 'my kind of coin'. Trajan most certainly was a correct choice for Nerva and the message of the coin explains it well. Many coins can be appreciated for beauty or rarity but my favorites are those that have more than one level of meaning that can be appreciated only with a bit of understanding. This is one of the specialty interests that is really hard to put into words when a show dealer asks you what you collect: "I want coins you don't understand why I would want them" sounds pompous. Truth sometimes needs to be presented with more finesse. "I want $10 coins with $20 footnotes leaves the impression, correct to a degree, that I am a cheapskate. Still, I have had dealers show me coins that they knew I would like and be correct. Some of those guys really do belong in the business and really do provide a level of service for which I am happy to pay.
     
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  11. Mat

    Mat Ancient Coincoholic

    Nice, my dad would never get me anything like that.

    [​IMG]
    Nerva (96 -98 A.D.)
    AR Didrachm
    Cappadocia, Caesarea
    O AVTOKPAT NEPOYAC KAICAP CEBACTOC YΠAT Γ, laurate head right.
    R: CEBACTOY TYXH, Tyche standing left holding rudder in right hand and cornucopiae in left.
    Cappadocia, Caesarea 97 A.D.
    20mm
    6.7g
    Sydenham 150

    Published on Wildwinds
     
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  12. IdesOfMarch01

    IdesOfMarch01 Well-Known Member

    According to Wikipedia, this is an ancient bust of Nerva:

    220px-Nerva_bust_Cologne_cropped_left.png

    How accurate is it? Who knows? But it does have have a lot of similarity to his portraits on coins.
     
  13. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Not enough of a "hooked" nose, which, according to his coins, are his trademark.
     
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  14. ancientone

    ancientone Well-Known Member

    IMO A bit harsh to condemn him for something Commodus did after his death. If more people had the stoic beliefs of Aurelius today we would be in a better place.

    Here is a decent portrait of Nerva although I'm not certain on it being official.

    Nerva.jpg
    Cappadocia, Caesarea. Nerva
    (Didrachm / AD 97)
    Obv: AVTOKPAT NEPOYAC KAICAP CEBACTOC
    Laureate head of Nerva right.
    Rev: VΠATOY TPITOY
    Club of Hercules.
     
  15. Pishpash

    Pishpash Well-Known Member

    Doesn't look like a man in his 60s.
     
  16. dlhill132

    dlhill132 Member

    Wow Ajax, nice new coin. It's nice when family takes an interest in what you like to collect.

    Doug
    26.jpg
     
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  17. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Interestingly, I acquired this one just last week:

    nerva denarius.jpg
    Nerva, AD 96-98 AD
    AR Denarius, 3.1g, 18mm, Rome mint
    Obv.: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR POT II; Laureate head right.
    Rev.: COS III PATER PATRIAE; Priestly implements: simpulum, aspergillum, jug and lituus.
    Reference: RIC 225, 34. Cohen 51
    Provenance: From the Collection of a CT Member, ex-Zuzim (Isadore Goldstein)
     
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2017
  18. ro1974

    ro1974 Well-Known Member

    Great coin all, i found another picture from him , here has he his famous noise
    200px-NervaBronzoRosso.jpg
    Buste van Nerva, Narni, Italy
     
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  19. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Wow, I really love that coin! I wonder if whoever made it realized they had the wrong obverse/reverse pairing?
     
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  20. TIF

    TIF Always learning.

    That's a very nice Nerva and I thought about bidding as well. I'm surprised Mat sold it!
     
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  21. Paul M.

    Paul M. Well-Known Member

    Thanks! Technically it's a little premature to post it today because I don't have it in hand, but I have full confidence it will look every bit as nice when I finally do see it.

    Nerva isn't my "main man," so to speak, but I knew I wanted to get a coin of all the Nerva-Antonine emperors eventually, so I nabbed it and one of the Trajan provincials that were up for bids. When a coin like this comes around at a price like that, I've learned not to wait. :)
     
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