Nero Orichalcum Sestertius, RIC I (second edition) Nero 138

Monetary Context and the Neronian Currency Reform

The production of the sestertius under Nero represents a structural transformation of Roman imperial base-metal coinage. Prior to roughly 64 AD, the mint of Rome had largely refrained from issuing regular aes denominations under Nero, with the imperial treasury relying on recycled Julio-Claudian brass and bronze. Following the devastation of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD and mounting fiscal obligations across the empire, Nero introduced a comprehensive monetary reform. This revaluation adjusted the weights of the gold aureus and silver denarius while inaugurating a massive output of brass (orichalcum) and copper denominations. The sestertius, valued at four asses or one quarter of a silver denarius, was the premier base-metal denomination of the imperial monetary system. Cast from golden-toned orichalcum, an alloy composed predominantly of copper with a deliberate zinc component, the denomination offered an expansive canvas for sophisticated imperial propaganda. RIC I (second edition) Nero 138 belongs to this energetic reform horizon, illustrating how high-denomination base-metal coinage was mobilized to reassure the urban population of Rome regarding stability, food security, and administrative benevolence amid profound political and economic shifts.

Production Technology and Mint Attribution

RIC I (second edition) Nero 138 is securely attributed to the imperial mint at Rome. While Nero also established an active western mint at Lugdunum (modern Lyon) to supply the Rhine frontier and Gallic provinces, the stylistic execution and epigraphic features of RIC 138 firmly place its die production in the capital. Dies cut at the Rome mint for this series exhibit a characteristic plastic modeling, volumetric depth in the portraiture, and refined lettering that contrast with the slightly flatter relief and signature globe termination found on many Lugdunese dies. Sestertii of this era were manufactured by striking carefully cast orichalcum blanks between hand-cut iron or bronze dies. The target weight standard for Neronian sestertii fluctuated around 26 to 28 grams, with diameters commonly spanning between 34 and 37 millimeters, although individual flans exhibit natural variations arising from ancient alloy mixing and manual blank preparation. The dramatic physical scale and heavy relief of these pieces required multiple well-coordinated blows from mint workers, producing a distinctively tactile coinage capable of enduring heavy commercial handling.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC I (second edition) Nero 138 features a dramatic, mature head of Nero facing left, crowned with a laurel wreath whose ties hang behind his neck. Stylistically, this portrait departs decisively from the youthful, idealized depictions of Nero's early principate, which had adhered closely to classicizing Julio-Claudian conventions under the influence of Seneca and Agrippina. By 64 AD, die engravers at Rome adopted a robust, fleshy, and highly individualized realism that emphasized the emperor's thick neck, prominent chin, and elaborate coiffure arranged in stepped tiers of curls. The choice of a left-facing bust in RIC 138 provides a distinguished variant within the broader Annona Augusti Ceres series, where right-facing portraits are more commonly encountered. Unlike certain parallel dies that feature an aegis or a small globe at the truncation of the neck, RIC 138 depicts the bare neck truncated naturally above the legend. The high-relief engraving imbues the portrait with an imposing physical presence, projecting an image of absolute autocratic authority.

Reverse Iconography: Annona, Ceres, and the Grain Supply

The reverse of RIC I (second edition) Nero 138 displays an intricate and narrative allegorical composition centered on the safeguarding of Rome's food supply. On the right, the goddess Ceres sits draped and veiled, facing left, holding two ears of corn in her extended right hand and a tall, vertical torch in her left, symbolizing both agricultural fertility and the nocturnal search for Proserpina. Facing her on the left stands Annona, the personification of the imperial grain distribution, draped in a stola; she rests her right hand on her hip and cradles a lavish cornucopia in her left arm to denote institutional abundance. Positioned between the two figures in the center of the field is a low, garlanded altar upon which rests a modius, the traditional dry-measure container, filled with harvested ears of grain. In the background behind the altar and Ceres rises the curved stern of a commercial cargo ship (corbita). This nautical element directly references the state-organized merchant fleet that transported grain from Egypt and North Africa across the Mediterranean to the newly completed imperial port facilities at Ostia and Portus. Together, these elements form a unified allegorical program that credits the emperor with ensuring the uninterrupted flow of sustenance to the urban populace.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The legends on RIC I (second edition) Nero 138 are executed in clear, monumental Roman capitals and convey essential constitutional and ideological messaging. The obverse legend reads NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P, expanding to 'Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate, Imperator, Pater Patriae.' This comprehensive formulation encapsulates Nero's full imperial titulature, invoking his dynastic lineage through Claudius and Germanicus, his supreme religious leadership as chief pontiff, his civil authority via the tribunician power, his acclamation as military imperator, and his paternal status as Father of the Country. The reverse legend is divided between the outer circumference and the lower field. Arching above the scene is the legend ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES, which may be interpreted as 'The Imperial Annona [and] Ceres' or 'The Annona of the Emperor and Ceres,' directly binding the sovereign's personal care (cura annonae) to divine providence. In the exergue or flanking the field appears the traditional abbreviation S C, denoting 'Senatus Consulto' ('by decree of the Senate'), marking the formal constitutional authorization of base-metal coinage by the senatorial order even as the imagery remained thoroughly imperial.

Typology, Variants, and Chronological Placement

Within the second edition of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume I, RIC 138 is defined by a precise combination of typological parameters: a laureate head facing left without an aegis, paired with the Annona Augusti Ceres reverse and the unshortened obverse legend ending in P P. The broader Annona Augusti Ceres series was struck extensively between approximately 64 AD and 66 AD, though the catalogue framework accommodates production until the end of Nero's reign in 68 AD. Neighboring entries in RIC delineate closely related variations: RIC 137 features the laureate head facing right, RIC 139 presents a left-facing bust with an aegis, and RIC 140 through 142 incorporate varied legend abbreviations or omit P P. Furthermore, parallel issues were struck at the Lugdunum mint, often identifiable by the small globe at the truncation of the bust and subtle differences in letter forms. RIC 138 represents the standard Rome mint manifestation of the left-facing laureate type, capturing a mature phase of Neronian die engraving immediately following the major post-reform retooling of the urban mint.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Sestertii of the Neronian reform, including RIC 138, entered a Mediterranean-wide monetary economy hungry for high-value base-metal currency. Because Nero had suspended regular brass striking in Rome during the first decade of his reign, the influx of fresh, heavy orichalcum sestertii in the mid-60s AD saw exceptionally rapid and widespread dispersion. Hoard evidence and site finds demonstrate that these coins circulated extensively throughout peninsular Italy, the grain-importing centers around Ostia and Rome, and across the western provinces of Hispania, Gaul, and Britannia. In frontier zones such as the Rhine limes, Neronian sestertii circulated alongside lingering Claudian copies and provincial bronzes, gradually displacing older worn currency. Due to their durable flans and intrinsic brass value, specimens of RIC 138 frequently remained in circulation for decades, occasionally appearing in Antonine and Severan hoards worn down to smooth discs or bearing Flavian and subsequent countermarks. The enduring presence of this type in archaeological contexts underscores its economic durability and the long-lasting impact of Nero's monetary reorganization.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 219-221
2. The Western Coinages of Nero (Numismatic Notes and Monographs 161). pp. 142-148
3. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 110-116
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Nero 138. ric.1(2).ner.138
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (Revised Edition). p. 160, no. 138
6. Roman History and Coinage, 44 BC - AD 69. pp. 95-102