Nero Bronze As - RIC I (second edition) Nero 348

Monetary Context and the Neronian Reform

The monetary system under Nero underwent profound structural reorganizations, culminating in the comprehensive monetary reform of roughly AD 64. Before this intervention, Roman imperial base-metal coinage had followed the Augustan standard established nearly a century earlier, where the sestertius and dupondius were manufactured from orichalcum (a bright golden copper-zinc brass alloy), while the as, semis, and quadrans were consistently struck on blanks of pure red copper. Nero disturbed this traditional division of metals by introducing orichalcum into the production of the as and the lower fractional denominations, while simultaneously modifying the weight benchmarks across both precious and base metals. The denarius and aureus experienced reductions in precious-metal mass and fineness, which necessitated an adjusted calibration of the fiduciary base-metal fractions to maintain parity in transactional circulation. The as served as the benchmark workhorse of daily retail trade throughout Italy and the western provinces, facilitating mundane transactions such as market purchases, wage payments for casual laborers, and municipal tax collections. In this restructured monetary environment, types such as RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 were produced in massive volume, providing Rome with stable, easily recognizable fiduciary tokens that conveyed political and imperial ideology directly into the hands of everyday citizens.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 is assigned securely to the imperial mint of Rome. During Nero's reign, base-metal coinage was struck primarily at two main minting centers: the primary mint in Rome and an active branch mint located at Lugdunum (modern Lyon, France). The production of the Rome mint is readily distinguished from Lugdunese output by stylistic nuances in die engraving, portrait modeling, and the absence of the small globe termination frequently placed at the tip of the imperial bust truncation on Lugdunum dies. Asses of this type were manufactured on carefully prepared cast flans that were struck by paired bronze or iron dies. While Julio-Claudian asses traditionally aimed for a theoretical standard around 10.9 to 11.0 grams, Neronian asses exhibit noticeable metrological variability. When orichalcum was employed for the as, its higher intrinsic value compared to copper permitted a slightly reduced weight target, often around 8.0 to 9.5 grams, whereas copper issues tended to adhere more closely to the heavier 10.0 to 11.5 gram range. Diameters for these asses typically range between 27 and 30 millimeters. Die alignment was predominantly regularized to either an upright or inverted axial orientation (six o'clock or twelve o'clock), reflecting the rigorous mechanical discipline of the urban mint staff.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse of RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 features a left-facing laureate head of Nero. Throughout the early and middle years of his principate, Nero's official portraits evolved from youthful, idealized representations inherited from the Julio-Claudian court style into an increasingly mature, fleshy, and highly individualized portraiture. On this issue, the emperor is depicted with a heavy jawline, prominent neck, and elaborate coiffure consisting of concentric waves of carefully curled locks swept across the temples and forehead, reflecting the distinctively ornate aristocratic hairstyles favored by Nero during the 60s AD. The laurel wreath resting upon his head symbolizes victory and imperial majesty, its ribbon ties falling downward along the nape of the neck. The left-facing bust orientation is less frequent in the broader Roman coinage than the standard right-facing portrait, providing a deliberate compositional counterpart within the wider emission series. The engraving exhibits the high artistic relief and refined plastic modeling characteristic of the masters working at the Rome mint during the mature Neronian period.

Reverse Iconography: The Temple of Janus

The reverse design of RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 presents an architectural depiction of the Temple of Janus Quirinus with its heavy double doors closed and secured. In Roman tradition dating back to King Numa Pompilius, the doors of the sanctuary of Janus remained open during times of war and were closed only when peace had been established across the entirety of the Roman dominions. The perspective on this die cutting is two-quarter architectural rendering: the left side of the structure shows a wall pierced by a large latticed or grated window, while the right side displays the front portal with massive double doors fastened shut and draped with a festive ornamental garland hung across them. This visual arrangement is catalogued by numismatists as the 'ubique door' variety, directly complementing the accompanying legend. Flanking the lower fields of the design are the prominent letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), confirming the constitutional authority by which base-metal coinage was officially struck. The closure of the temple celebrated the diplomatic settlement achieved with the Parthian Empire over the kingdom of Armenia, culminating in the coronation of Tiridates I by Nero at Rome, allowing imperial propaganda to proclaim complete global pacification.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The epigraphy of RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 is concise, formal, and deeply laden with imperial titulature and propagandistic assertion. The obverse perimeter inscription reads IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM, representing an abbreviated form of Imperator Nero Caesar Augustus Germanicus. The placement of the military title Imperator as a praenomen emphasizes autocratic authority and victorious military prestige, a convention revived and popularized under Nero. The title Germanicus recalls inherited dynastic claims through the Claudian and Germanicus lines. The reverse legend circumscribes the upper perimeter: PACE P R VBIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT, which resolves in full Latin as Pace Populi Romani Ubique Parta Ianum Clusit ('The peace of the Roman people having been established everywhere, he closed the Temple of Janus'). This explicit narrative proclamation is rare in its grammatical completeness, functioning as a historical headline that leaves no ambiguity regarding the imperial accomplishment being broadcast. The field letters S C (Senatus Consulto) balance the lower composition, maintaining the institutional fiction of shared senatorial oversight in the emission of bronze money.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the typology established in the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume I, catalogued under number 348, this issue forms part of a cohesive family of Janus-closure coinages produced between AD 64 and 67, bounded within the broad database bracket of AD 62 to 68. The initial closure of the Temple of Janus under Nero is traditionally dated by historians to AD 65 or early 66, following the resolution of the protracted Parthian campaigns by General Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo. Typologically, Nero struck Janus types across virtually every denomination, from the gold aureus and silver denarius down to the sestertius, dupondius, and as. Distinct die variants exist within the as denomination alone, differentiated by bust direction (facing right versus facing left), the presence or absence of an aegis on the neck truncation, and the reverse perspective (doors facing right with window left, versus doors facing left with window right). RIC I (second edition) Nero 348 isolates the precise pairing of a left-facing laureate head with the reverse depicting the closed door on the right and the latticed window on the left, distinguishing it from adjacent entries such as RIC 347 (head right) or types bearing divergent legend breaks.

Circulation, Hoards, and Archaeological Context

Asses of the Janus type circulated extensively throughout the central and western Mediterranean, serving as one of the most visible base-metal emissions of the late Julio-Claudian era. Archaeological excavations across Italy, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and Britannia frequently yield Neronian asses showing varying stages of surface wear. While Nero's memory suffered official and unofficial damnation (damnatio memoriae) following his suicide in AD 68, this condemnation did not lead to an immediate systematic demonetization of his base-metal currency. The severe shortage of small change in the western provinces during the civil wars of AD 68 to 69 and throughout the subsequent Flavian period required that Neronian bronze remain in active circulation for decades. Many specimens are found countermarked by regional military authorities or provincial administrators, attesting to their prolonged utility in pay chests. Over decades of commercial handling, these coins became heavily worn, often remaining in low-level retail circulation well into the reigns of Trajan and Hadrian, when widespread recoinage operations and the introduction of newly struck bronzes gradually removed Julio-Claudian copper from circulation.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 214-275
2. The Western Coinages of Nero (Numismatic Notes and Monographs 161). pp. 75-120
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 137-180
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Nero 348. ric.1(2).ner.348
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). pp. 133-187