Nero Orichalcum Sestertius, RIC I (second edition) Nero 137

Monetary Context and the Neronian Currency Reform

The introduction of the sestertius catalogued as RIC I (second edition) Nero 137 took place against the backdrop of an extensive reorganization of the imperial monetary system. Prior to approximately 64 AD, the imperial government under Nero had suspended the regular domestic production of base-metal coinage at the capital, relying largely on existing stocks of Julio-Claudian aes and provincial issues. When large-scale bronze and brass striking resumed around 64 AD, the administration introduced profound adjustments across every denomination. Silver denarii and gold aurei saw their weight standards reduced and silver fineness lowered, while aes production resumed with unprecedented technical mastery and stylistic ambition. Within this revamped monetary architecture, the sestertius maintained its position as the premier large-format denomination, tariffed at four asses or one quarter of a denarius. Under Augustus, the sestertius had been established as a golden-yellow brass alloy, termed orichalcum, distinct from the pure reddish copper used for the middle and smaller denominations. Nero briefly experimented with striking all base-metal denominations in orichalcum, but the sestertius remained universally committed to this alloy throughout the reign. Its expansive surface area rendered it the primary visual instrument for communicating imperial achievements, architectural developments, and civic beneficence to the public within Italy and the Western provinces.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

Numismatic scholarship securely attributes RIC I (second edition) Nero 137 to the central mint at Rome. Production of base-metal coinage during the middle and late 60s AD was split between the capital and an auxiliary mint in the West, conventionally identified as Lugdunum in modern France. Coins produced at Lugdunum typically carry distinctive diagnostic features, notably a small globe terminal at the point of the bust truncation. In contrast, Rome issues, including RIC 137, display an absence of this globe, featuring instead a clean truncation or an aegis set directly upon the neck truncation. The sestertii of RIC 137 were produced in orichalcum using heavily engraved bronze or iron dies capable of deep relief. The target weight standard for Neronian sestertii at Rome clustered around 26 to 28 grams, with diameters commonly spanning between 33 and 36 millimeters, though individual specimens vary according to flan preparation techniques and subsequent circulation wear. Die orientation at the Rome mint was generally disciplined, adhering predominantly to an alignment close to twelve o'clock or six o'clock. The exceptional modeling of die portraiture demonstrates that senior master engravers at the capital were tasked with executing these dies, achieving high naturalism and volumetric depth.

Obverse Iconography and Attributes

The obverse of RIC 137 displays the mature, laureate head of Nero facing right. The imperial portrait represents the culmination of the third stylistic phase identified by numismatists, which emerged around 64 AD. Breaking away from the idealized, youthful depictions modeled on Julio-Claudian precedents, this mature type captures Nero with a thick neck, rounded jaw, prominent nose, and elaborate, stepped curls running in tiers along his forehead, echoing the theatrical and athletic personal styling adopted by the emperor. A defining diagnostic attribute of RIC 137 is the presence of an aegis at the base of the neck. The aegis, traditionally associated with Jupiter and Minerva, is represented as a scaled breastplate fringed with serpents, resting over the emperor's truncation. On ancient coinage, this divine attribute signified cosmic protection and imperial majesty, visually elevating the Princeps beyond ordinary magistracy into a realm of divine guardianship. The laurel wreath encircling his head is tied at the back with flowing ribbons, projecting traditional victory and civic triumph.

Reverse Allegory: Annona, Ceres, and the Grain Fleet

The reverse of RIC 137 bears an intricate multi-figure composition that ranks among the most sophisticated allegories in early imperial numismatics. The scene is dominated by two personified figures facing one another. On the right, the goddess Ceres is depicted veiled and draped, seated toward the left. In her hands she bears ears of grain and a tall lighted torch, her classical attributes representing agricultural fertility and divine oversight of the harvest. Standing before her on the left is Annona, the personification of the state grain supply, draped and standing right, with her right hand resting casually on her hip and her left arm supporting a full cornucopia, symbolizing abundance. Between the two figures, occupying the center of the field, sits an ornate garlanded altar topped by a modius, the standard measure of dry capacity used for grain distributions. In the background behind the altar and Ceres rises the distinctive stern of an imperial grain vessel, complete with steering oars and decking. The composite scene forms a coherent narrative link connecting Mediterranean agricultural production, maritime transport from Egypt and North Africa through Ostia, and the benevolent imperial distribution to the plebs of Rome.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The obverse inscription of RIC 137 reads NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P, running clockwise continuously around the perimeter. Expanded into full Latin, this formula represents Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Imperator, Pater Patriae. The inclusion of the full imperial titulature highlights his dynastic heritage through the Claudian and Germanicus lines, alongside his chief priesthood, his ongoing tribunician authority, his military imperium, and his honorific designation as Father of the Country, which he accepted early in his reign. The reverse legend is split into two complementary elements. In the upper field, the inscription ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES frames the figures, translating directly as 'The imperial grain supply and Ceres' or 'The Annona of Augustus and Ceres.' This juxtaposition links the earthly administrative apparatus of the Augustus directly to the patron goddess of crops. In the exergue or lower field appears S C, abbreviating Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), marking the traditional formal sanction under which base-metal coins were issued within the Roman monetary system.

Typology, Dating, and Classification

Within the typology established by C. H. V. Sutherland in the revised second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage, the Annona reverse appears across several distinct sestertius catalog entries. The design was minted in multiple discrete combinations depending on obverse facing direction, presence of the aegis, bare bust truncation, and legend variations. RIC 137 specifically designates the right-facing laureate bust with aegis accompanied by the specific uninterrupted title sequence ending in IMP P P. The chronological placement of RIC 137 has been extensively analyzed by David MacDowall and modern scholars. While the broad type bracket assigned in generic corpora spans from roughly 62 to 68 AD, the initiation of this massive bronze series is overwhelmingly dated to circa 64 AD, coinciding with the completion of the Portus harbour works under Claudius and Nero and the monetary reform after the Great Fire of Rome. Struck in large numbers, the Annona series continued through roughly 66 AD, providing an immediate ideological response to public anxieties surrounding famine and metropolitan supply vulnerability.

Circulation, Hoards, and Deposition Patterns

Neronian sestertii of the Annona type circulated extensively throughout Italy and across the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and Britannia. Because the sestertius was the backbone of everyday commercial transactions of medium to high value, specimens of RIC 137 saw heavy, sustained usage. Archaeological evidence from both military camps and urban settlements demonstrates that Neronian orichalcum sestertii frequently remained in circulation for decades, often appearing in hoards deposited well into the Antonine and Severan periods. Over prolonged periods of circulation, the brass alloy tended to develop deep green or brownish patinas, and specimens frequently incurred edge knocks and moderate surface wear. Contemporary counterfeiters occasionally cast imitation sestertii using molds taken from genuine Rome mint specimens, reflecting the high purchasing power and broad acceptability of this denomination throughout the Mediterranean world.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 220-222
2. The Western Coinages of Nero (Numismatic Notes and Monographs 161). pp. 82-96
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Nero 137. ric.1(2).ner.137
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). p. 160, no. 137