Nero Dupondius RIC I (second edition) Nero 193

Monetary Reform and Denominational Context

The production of RIC I (second edition) Nero 193 belongs to the transformative period of Neronian monetary reorganization that took place around AD 64. For the first decade of Nero's reign, starting in AD 54, the imperial mint at Rome had produced virtually no base-metal currency, leaving the empire reliant on worn Augustan, Tiberian, and Claudian bronzes, alongside substantial quantities of local copies. When Rome resumed the striking of aes coinage, it did so with a thoroughly redesigned system that altered both the metallurgical composition and denominational clarity of the currency. Traditionally in the Julio-Claudian system established under Augustus, the sestertius and dupondius were manufactured in yellow brass (orichalcum), while the as, semis, and quadrans were struck in pure red copper. Nero's mint administrators experimented with a radical departure from this dual-metal schema by attempting an all-orichalcum base-metal series. Because orichalcum carried a higher intrinsic value than copper due to its zinc content, an orichalcum as or semis had to be significantly smaller and lighter than its copper counterpart. This sudden shift risked widespread public confusion between denominations of similar module and metal. To prevent confusion between the new orichalcum as and the dupondius, Nero's mint instituted two explicit visual markers on the dupondius. First, the emperor's portrait was systematically shown wearing the radiate crown, a solar symbol that numismatists recognize as a distinct mark denoting a double denomination. Second, early issues of the reformed dupondii, including RIC 193, were marked directly with the Roman numeral II in the reverse exergue, stating unambiguously that the coin was tariffed at two asses. This mark of value, accompanied by the standard senatorial endorsement S C (Senatus Consulto), demonstrates a deliberate concern for transparency during the monetary transition.

Mint Organization and Production Techniques

RIC I (second edition) Nero 193 was produced exclusively by the primary imperial mint located at Rome. Although Nero established an active western branch mint at Lugdunum (modern Lyon) to supply the Rhine frontier and northwestern provinces, stylistic, epigraphic, and hoard analyses confirm that this specific type, distinguished by its particular legend break, engraving style, and the mark of value II, originated in the capital. The flans for RIC 193 were cast from orichalcum, a copper-zinc alloy possessing a bright, golden appearance when freshly minted. In terms of weight standard, Neronian dupondii from the Rome mint generally targeted an average weight between 12.5 and 14.5 grams, with typical diameters ranging between 28 and 30 millimeters, although individual surviving specimens inevitably fluctuate due to blank preparation tolerances and modern corrosion. The manufacturing process required two-part bronze or iron dies hand-carved by skilled master engravers, whose work under Nero reached a pinnacle of technical naturalism and plastic modeling. Striking was executed by manual hammer blows on preheated or carefully softened blanks. Die alignment at the Rome mint under Nero was predominantly adjusted to a regular vertical orientation (six o'clock or twelve o'clock), reflecting the rigorous mechanical standards maintained within the urban workshops. The incorporation of the numeral II within the die engraving demonstrates that these dies were specifically created for this precise denominational phase and were not shared with copper as issues.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC I (second edition) Nero 193 presents a right-facing, radiate head of Nero. The portrait exemplifies the sophisticated artistic style developed at the Rome mint following the cessation of the initial quinqennalia period and the adoption of full imperial autonomy in base-metal production. Nero is shown with prominent facial features: a fleshy neck, thick jawline, and carefully layered locks of hair swept forward from the crown and curled along the forehead in the elaborate coma in gradus formata style favored in his later reign. The portrait is uncrowned by the traditional laurel wreath; instead, it bears the radiate crown, whose spiked rays emanate outward around the temples and occiput. While traditionally linked in Hellenistic and Roman ideology to the solar divinity of Sol-Helios, the radiate crown on dupondii served an immediate practical purpose in daily commerce. It informed the user at a glance that the coin was a dupondius rather than an as of comparable diameter. The engraving shows deep relief and refined surface contours, capturing individual likeness rather than idealized youth, which reflects the mature, full-featured appearance of the princeps during the mid-60s AD.

Reverse Iconography of Securitas

The reverse of RIC 193 features an elaborate and allegorically rich portrayal of Securitas Augusti, the personification of imperial security and civic tranquility. Securitas is depicted seated facing right upon a high-backed, cushioned throne. She is draped only from the waist down, leaving her upper torso bare in a manner derived from classical Greek statuary models. Her posture communicates supreme ease and effortless calm: she rests her head pensively against her raised right hand, which is supported by her propped right elbow, while her left hand cradles a short sceptre resting across her lap. Immediately before Securitas stands a low, two-tiered altar that is lighted and draped with festive garlands. Leaning diagonally against the altar is a lighted torch, whose lower end rests upon a bucranium (an ox skull). Numismatic scholars interpret this complex tableau as a synthesis of religious piety and political reassurance. The resting torch and the sacrificial bucranium symbolize the pacification of civic turmoil and the extinguishing of internal conflict, while the ever-burning altar signifies the enduring favor of the gods secured through imperial vigil. In the exergual field below the baseline, the numeral II appears distinctly, framed by the traditional senatorial authorization S C across the lower fields.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The legends on RIC I (second edition) Nero 193 are executed in clear, classical Roman monumental capitals, characteristic of the finest Rome mint die cutters. The obverse legend reads continuously clockwise around the perimeter: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P This expands epigraphically to: Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Imperator, Pater Patriae. The inclusion of the title Imperator (IMP) embedded within the titulature, alongside Pater Patriae (P P), confirms a striking date firmly within the post-reform period, as Nero had accepted the title Father of the Country earlier but began incorporating this comprehensive titular formula onto base-metal coins only from c. AD 64 onward. The reverse legend is divided between the upper perimeter and the lower field: SECVRITAS AVGVSTI This translates to 'The Security of the Augustus.' Across the lower fields or flanking the seated personification are the prominent letters S C, abbreviating Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), marking the traditional constitutional sanction for base-metal issues. In the exergue at the very base of the reverse die is inscribed the numeral II, which serves as the unmistakable numeral of value.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology established by C. H. V. Sutherland in the revised second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC I), type 193 is classified as part of the initial wave of reformed aes coinage produced at Rome between approximately AD 64 and AD 65. The presence of the mark of value II is the defining chronological and typological marker that separates RIC 193 from later dupondius issues of the same design. During the initial rollout of the reform, the mint produced dupondii with the value mark II paired with several reverse types, prominently including Securitas Augusti and Victoria Augusti. However, mint authorities soon realized that the public readily recognized the radiate crown as the definitive badge of the dupondius, rendering the numeral II redundant. Consequently, subsequent emissions of the Securitas dupondius at Rome (such as RIC 286 and neighboring varieties) eliminated the numeral II, retaining only the letters S C in the exergue or field. RIC 193 therefore captures a specific, short-lived typological phase wherein both the radiate portrait and the explicit numerical tariff coexisted on the same die. The broad database umbrella of AD 62 to 68 encompasses the entire reform horizon, but numismatic analysis restricts the active striking of RIC 193 with numeral II to the earlier half of that window, c. AD 64-65.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Dupondii of type RIC 193 circulated extensively throughout the central and western provinces of the Roman Empire, although their primary concentration remained in Italy and the western military zones. As a token denomination with an official tariff fixed above its raw metal value, the orichalcum dupondius played an indispensable role in daily urban transactions, retail markets, and troop payments. It represented one-eighth of a silver denarius or two bronze asses, making it a convenient mid-level denomination for commercial trade. In archaeological contexts and hoard evidence across Italy, Gaul, and the German frontier, Neronian reformed dupondii are frequently recovered in heavily worn condition, testifying to extended periods of circulation. Despite Nero's political downfall and eventual damnatio memoriae in AD 68, his base-metal coinage was never demonetized. The severe coin shortages of the late first century and the Flavian period forced successive administrations, from Vespasian to Domitian, to allow Neronian orichalcum pieces to remain in active circulation for decades. Many specimens of RIC 193 continued to change hands well into the second century AD, often circulating alongside Flavian, Trajanic, and Antonine dupondii until progressive wear obliterated their surface legends.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 240-243
2. The Western Coinages of Nero (Numismatic Notes and Monographs 161). pp. 76-84
3. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 112-118
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Nero 193. ric.1(2).ner.193
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). p. 165, no. 193