Nero Sestertius With A Wonderful Reverse

Couldn't resist this beautiful coin.



Nero (54-68 AD)
struck in Rome, 63 AD
Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm
Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis
Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship
Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24

The arrival picture shows the hazards of shipping bulky ancient coins in slabs. The coin was knocked askew. Maybe he was just trying to break out of jail. I tried the vise method this time but ultimately a big hammer was required to set him free.



CNG's blurb about the type:

"In order to endear himself, Nero granted many largesses to the common people in the form of congiaria---typically personified by Annona, a provision for one year usually in the form of grain, and by Ceres, the goddess of agriculture and a representation of the grain itself."

I'd hoped to have a concise summary of Nero ready to roll when the coin arrived... but it is here and I haven't finished reading pertinent portions of The Annals (Tacitus), De Vita Caesarum (Suetonius), and various other accounts of his reign. One thing is clear though-- there's a lot more to Nero than fire and a fiddle (and that legend isn't accurate anyway). Accounts vary for some important stories, though all accounts are loaded with lurid details-- some more lurid than others. Summarizing any of his non-political shenanigans would probably get me kicked off CCF.

Apparently the citizens liked him well enough, at least for a while. This Annona and Ceres coin served to remind the citizenry of his generosity.