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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Julius Germanicus, post: 2921475, member: 80783&quot;]Hello everybody! After sending back my old Nerva Sestertius (which sadly had been condemned as a forgery by Sear) and deciding to stick with my Dupondius for the time being, I nevertheless stumbled over this worn piece of brass and decided to buy it despite it´s&nbsp; heavy wear.</p><p><br /></p><p>It not only satisfies my need to own a Nerva Sestertius, but also I can never resist that yellow brass tone. In combination with a large flan as well as a rare and interesting reverse this was practically a must-have-for me <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]707462[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Most of Nerva’s bronze coins bear general types such as the personifications of Aequitas, Fortuna or Libertas, but a small group issued in 97 records some particular, very interesting and historically important events. Beside PLEBEI VRBANAE FRVMENTO CONSTITVTO (RIC 89) or TVTELA ITALIAE (RIC 92) and a few others, the type shown here ,struck on the exemption of Italy from the „munus vehicularium“, or the obligation to furnish horses, mules, and conveyances, for persons travelling upon public business, is among the rarest and most sought after in Nerva’s bronze coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>There were only 15 specimens of this type accounted for in a sample of 297 Sestertii from hoards and finds, indicating that the type is quite scarce.</p><p>It was issued in two emissions in January and again in September 97 (RIC 93 and RIC 104), corresponding to Nerva´s third and fourth emissions.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]707463[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[IMP NERVA C]AES AVG - P M [TR P COS III PP] – Laureate head of Nerva right</p><p>VEHICVL[ATIONE ITALIAE REMISSA S C]- Two mules grazing, one right, one left; in the background a high-wheeled cart, with pole and harness, tipped up and pointing slightly to left </p><p>Sestertius, Rome 97</p><p>22,18 gr, 35 mm</p><p>BMC 119; Cohen 143; RIC 93, Banti 44, Sear 3055, CBN 108, Vagi 1217</p><p>Ex Numismatik Lanz, from an Austrian collection, ex David Kallai Kunsthandel, Vienna, around 1920</p><p><br /></p><p>Augustus founded the imperial courier service as an eventual replacement for the traditional system of tabellarii, or private messengers, to convey government information and military commands across the Roman Empire. This system provided for thousands of stations (mansiones) to be placed along the imperial highways (viae). These stops supplied fresh transport as well as food and accommodation for imperial travelers. However, Augustus did not provide for its full maintenance in the Imperial budget. Instead the costs were paid for out of the munus vehicularium, a levy placed upon the local population. As the empire expanded and more imperial traffic used the vehiculatio through Italy to reach the capital, the munus vehicularium became ever more burdensome on the small Italian landowners.</p><p><br /></p><p>Apparently Domitian was especially abusive in this regard. Following the assassination of Domitian, Nerva attempted to correct his excesses and relieve some of the burdens imposed on the people of Italy by assuring that the cost of the government’s communication network was assumed by the government itself (all the other provinces were still charged, however). This system, the cursus publicus, then under Trajan and Hadrian became one of the largest governmental institutions of antiquity. Though this event is celebrated on this coin, no contemporary writers mention the act.</p><p><br /></p><p>The reverse scene on the commemorative Sestertius´reverse is placid. Two mules are there quietly feeding (only one still visible on my coin), liberated from their yokes which appear in the back ground (on better preserved specimens); the symbol af peace and liberty.</p><p>The decision to depict a rather idyllic scene, with the horses grazing and the vehicle out of commission, as opposed to showing a mule-cart on the move, is a perfect reflection of the inscription, which itself refers to the remission of the burden.</p><p><br /></p><p>After all I decided that I just HAD TO HAVE this coin and was more than happy to get it for for the equivalent of 50 USD.</p><p><br /></p><p>Please post anything by Nerva or showing mules <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" />[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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