There’s some suggestion that Nero’s ultimate intention was a uniform coinage and, while we can’t say for certain if that was true, he had a keen artistic eye and would have enjoyed the look and texture of brass coinage. Nero himself seemed to be particularly enamoured by aurichalcum and during the later part of his reign all token coins were struck in brass. In fact, the Roman word for brass was aurichalcum, meaning golden-copper. Sestertii were also made in bronze but brass was especially valued for its golden sheen. From around 23 BC they were recast as large brass coins, weighing 25-28 grammes and measuring between 32-34 mm in diameter. Prior to the coinage reforms instituted by Augustus (63 BC - AD 14), sestertii were small and silver. What makes Nero’s currency so popular with collectors is that it’s both innovative and stylish. It's completely free and a great way to keep up to date with the very latest new coins and enter our latest competitions. SIGN UP TO THE FREE NEWSLETTER TODAY and we'll send you news, views and coins guides direct to your inbox. Even modern-day revisionists have little good to say about his short-lived reign.īut Nero did leave posterity one notable legacy: his currency. It’s likely that he murdered both his adoptive father (Claudius) and his own mother.Īnd while there’s no evidence that he really did ‘fiddle’ as Rome burnt, contemporary historians vilified him as a self-indulgent and arrogant ruler.
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