Yet another Nero as

I took a bag full of duplicates that no one else had wanted to the show yesterday and found a dealer willing to allow me trade credit from his stock at a rate I considered reasonable. His coins were generally priced double what I would pay and he was allowing me nearly that much more than I really expected. There were only two 'good' coins in the bunch and a lot of late Romans that I had nicer in my collection but were still decent coins. No dealer wants a bunch of $10-30 coins it seems but this one did. The problem was that he did not have enough coins I really needed so I bought a few things just to make the deal work. Below is my third Nero Janus as. All three are different varieties. This is the less common one with the temple facing to the left so I can justify having all three. I really wish one were a sestertius but those seem to sell for four times the as which almost seems appropriate if you think about it. Altogether, 8 of the 25 coins that came from the show were part of this trade. This was the nicest one in many terms. At least it is better than the 50 or so coins I had to pay for the 8. Now I have almost no trade stock but I suspect going through the collection would turn up replacements if I needed some.

Nero copper as - RIC 309
My other two and the story behind them are on my page if anyone cares to look.
http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/f42.html

 

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I've been looking for one of these at a fair price. No luck. It's not the nicest I've seen, but it certainly meets and exceeds my standards.

 

Copper is soft. Aes of this period often get worn or corroded. Dupondii are rare and sestertii seem to be more beat up than I would expect. Asses are relatively common so I suspect they circulated a lot. To me a good coin must have all the reverse legend since this is the longest legend yo will find that is not a string of titles. I could even talk myself into liking the copper wear through surrounded by the green on the obverse. When an ugly child belongs to us, he becomes handsome.

 

I didn't know these came with the door on the left. Nice pick up!

I still consider mine ugly (particularly on one side), but it is loved all the same.

 

well temple of janus had doorS. two IIRC.

 

Ugly but nice. It'd fit well with my collection

 

Nero... like him or loathe him, he sure struck a multitude of interesting coins. Congratulations on the unexpectedly good trade deal and the wonderful new coin!

 

That's definitely a nice coin and in high demand too, I think.

 

I'd love to add that example to my collection---to me, the circulated wear and 'corrosion' just add to its appeal, since it is well centered and the legends and details are strong and legible...

Presently, I only possess a silver TET from Antioch of Nero---and I'm always on the hunt (within my modest budget) to acquire one like you did.

Congrats Doug!!!

 

man, i don't have a coin of nero.

shame on me.

i agree with MZ, good legend and centered nicely...i like the rugged look and dig the color. nice DS.

 

It's a lovely coin, and an excellent addition to the two posted on your page. Are you looking to acquire one of the left-facing bust types as well?

 

I'd love a left facing sestertius but I don't plan aquisitions that carefully. That gets expensive.