Silver denarius, RSC-356, RIC-68. Obverse : Bust of Nero right, with "IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PP" around. Reverse : Legionary eagle between two Legionary standards, with no inscriptions. This example is fairly well centered for a Nero, with at least part of every letter showing, and over 50% of the inscription fully visible. Nicely toned. 17 mm. RARE ISSUE ........ aVF/gF $655.00 US or $985.00 Cdn funds RIC records that this type was issued in AD 67-68. We have not found a good explination for why Nero would have issued a legionary type during the last part of his reign. We do know that during that period he was behind in paying the troups, which resulted in revolts in Gaul and Spain, so one can speculate this might have been a special issue struck for troop payments to help deal with those events. ---------------------------------------------------- X-From_: owner-numism-l@VM.SC.EDU Tue Nov 10 20:14:02 1998 X-envelope-info: X-Comment: VM.SC.EDU: Mail was sent by oznet14.ozemail.com.au X-MSMail-Priority: Normal Date: Wed, 11 Nov 1998 15:11:02 +1100 Reply-To: onero@ozemail.com.au Sender: NUMISM-L -- ANCIENT/MEDIEVAL NUMISMATICS Discussion Forum From: Harvey Subject: Re: unusual Nero denarius Comments: To: ROBERT KOKOTAILO To: NUMISM-L@VM.SC.EDU Dear Robert, The coin you refer to is often said to be the very last issue of Nero's reign. Both Sydenham and Mattingly agree that it was struck for the war against Vindex in Gaul, during the Spring of AD 68. The obverse legends with which it is paired makes it impossible for this coin to have been struck in connection with the earlier fighting in Parthia or Britain. Sydenham also believes the style makes it clear that the coin was struck in Lugdunum, and this raises the interesting possibility that the minting took place at the very time that Vindex was besieging the city with his rebel army. Vinddex's revolt began as popular unrest in Southern Gaul, late in 67 or early in 68. Nero, meanwhile, had been idling the time away in Greece where he had just summoned and executed his most famous and capable general Corbulo. I wonder if he regretted that? Anyway, Nero's imperial deputy Helius was sending him frantic messages to come back, but he had only drifted back as far as Naples when the unrest flared into open revolt in March of 68. Governor Julius Vindex called on the tribes of Gaul to rise against the tyrant, and over 100,000 soldiers flocked to his standard. Unfortunately the traditional tribal bickering and jealousies of the Gauls kept them from uniting properly and thus they were defeated by the armies sent from Rome (and paid by these coins) to put the revolt down. This they did in May of 68. But Nero's lack of firm and immediate leadership response encouraged other rumblings, from Galba in Spain, and Otho in Lusitania, and Clodius Macer in Africa. Nor were the armies in Judaea and Germany willing to support Nero. And when disaffected senators in Rome itself managed to finally sway the Praetorians against him, Nero was a gonner! He had no time to strike any other coins. These poor examples, with no legend, were his last. Interestingly enough, they were modelled on the legionary coins of Marc Antony, for whom this reverse type was also the last stroke of midnight! But enough of this whimsey! Farewell. Harvey onero@ozemail.com.au ---------- > From: ROBERT KOKOTAILO > To: NUMISM-L@VM.SC.EDU > Subject: unusual Nero denarius > Date: Wednesday, November 11, 1998 1:41 PM > > I recently acquired a Nero denarius with a standard portrait of Nero on the > obverse, and a legionary eagle between two legionary standards on the > reverse (reference RSC-356, RIC-68), with no reverse inscriptions. There is > an image of the coin on my web site as coin #228 at : > > http://www.cadvision.com/calcoins/roman2.htm. > > According to RIC, this type was issued in AD 67-68. The problem is, why > would a type of this nature be issued at this time (Clive Foss does not > mention it in his book on Roman Historical coins). > > If anyone has any information (or theories) about this, I would appreciate > hearing from them. > > > > Robert Kokotailo > E-MAIL : calcoins@cadvision.com > SITE : http://www.calgarycoin.com