Nero Gold Aureus, RIC I (second edition) Nero 27

Monetary Context and Reform Background

The aureus catalogued as RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 was struck between AD 60 and AD 61, positioning it squarely in the pre-reform era of Nero's principate. During the first decade of Nero's reign, the Roman gold and silver monetary systems maintained the traditional weight and fineness norms established under Augustus. The aureus functioned as the primary high-value denomination in the Roman Empire, utilized extensively for military disbursements, administrative stipends, and large commercial transactions. Struck at a theoretical standard of 1/40th or 1/42nd of a Roman pound, aurei of this period typically averaged around 7.70 to 7.85 grams of remarkably pure gold, exceeding 99 percent fineness. This issue predates the pivotal monetary restructuring of AD 64, in which Nero lowered the aureus standard to 1/45th of a pound (approximately 7.27 grams) and decreased the weight and purity of the silver denarius. RIC 27 therefore represents the final years of the heavier early imperial aureus standard. Furthermore, the presence of the formula EX S C (Ex Senatus Consulto) on the reverse connects the type to an early Neronian practice where gold and silver coin designs formally acknowledged senatorial authority or decree, a convention that was completely abandoned after the reform of AD 64.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

Scholarly consensus firmly attributes RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 to the central imperial mint operating in Rome. Earlier twentieth-century numismatic literature occasionally posited Lugdunum (modern Lyon) as an active mint for Julio-Claudian precious metals during the early 60s AD, but detailed die-link analyses and stylistic studies by C. H. V. Sutherland and D. W. MacDowall demonstrated that gold and silver striking had been centralized at Rome by Nero's reign. Production of the aureus involved precise metallurgical control. Blank gold flans were cast, weighed to close tolerances, and struck using hardened bronze or iron dies. The obverse dies capture the evolving physiognomy of the emperor, showing an increasing level of sculptural volume and naturalism compared to the youthful portraits of Nero's accession in AD 54. Striking pressure was maintained at a high level to ensure full relief of Roma's intricate drapery and military gear on the reverse. Surviving specimens illustrate careful flan preparation, although centering variations, occasional die clashes, and minor peripheral wear are characteristic of regular imperial workshop output.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 features a right-facing, bare head of Nero without the laurel wreath that became customary on later imperial issues. This portrait type corresponds to Sutherland's portrait phase showing the maturing emperor around age twenty-two to twenty-three. The facial features reflect realistic modeling, characterized by a thick neck, prominent jaw, and carefully combed hair brushed forward onto the brow in stepped waves, foreshadowing the more elaborate comae of his later coinages. The truncation of the neck is smooth, cleanly separating the imperial bust from the fields. By omitting the laurel wreath or radiate crown, the portrait preserves the civic restraint that marked Nero's initial public presentation under the guidance of Seneca and Burrus, presenting the princeps as first among citizens rather than an absolute monarch, even while the accompanying titles affirm his supreme military authority.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse iconography depicts the personification of Roma as an active, martial protector of the state. Roma stands facing right, clad in military dress with a short tunic that exposes her right breast in the manner of an Amazon, wearing a crested helmet. Her left foot is propped on a captured helmet resting on the ground, situated adjacent to a dagger (or parazonium) and a bow. In her hands, she supports a round or oval shield that rests upon her raised left knee, actively inscribing an inscription or votive dedication onto its surface with her right hand. This visual program blends the traditional attributes of Roma with the iconographic type of Victoria inscribing a shield (clipeus virtutis). The discarded weapons underfoot emphasize Roman military triumphs, likely referencing imperial successes along the eastern frontier against Parthia under the generalship of Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, culminating in the temporary resolution of the Armenian question around AD 60. The image projects an aura of lasting peace secured through decisive military vigilance.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titles

The epigraphic program of RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 is notable for its explicit dating formulas and constitutional terminology. The obverse legend reads NERO CAESAR AVG IMP, running inward or outward clockwise around the portrait. Here, CAESAR and AVG (Augustus) affirm his dynastic status, while IMP (Imperator) appears as a cognomen or military title following established Julio-Claudian convention. The reverse carries a comprehensive titature: PONTIF MAX TR P VII COS IIII P P EX S C. Pontifex Maximus (PONTIF MAX) denotes supreme religious leadership. The tribunician title TR P VII specifies his seventh annual renewal of tribunician power, which ran from December AD 60 to December AD 61 according to the Roman calendar calculation. The designation COS IIII confirms his fourth consulship, entered on January 1, AD 60. Pater Patriae (P P), accepted in AD 55, underlines his paternal role over the Roman citizens. The closing acronym EX S C (Ex Senatus Consulto) indicates that the issue was struck under the formal authority of a senatorial decree, reflecting the traditional constitutional fiction maintained between the senate and the emperor during this phase of the principate.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

In the standard classification of Roman imperial numismatics, RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 forms an integral link in the closely dated annual series of gold and silver coins issued from AD 54 to AD 64. Each year, new dies were engraved reflecting updated counts of Nero's tribunician power. The reverse type of Roma standing right, inscribing a shield, was introduced in gold and silver during Nero's sixth tribunician year (AD 59 to 60, catalogued as RIC 21 for the aureus) and continued directly into TR P VII (AD 60 to 61) under RIC 27 for the aureus and RIC 28 for the corresponding silver denarius. Parallel issues during the same tribunician year featured an alternative reverse depicting Ceres standing left (RIC 23 and 25). The strict chronological succession of these dated pre-reform types allows numismatists to track stylistic evolutions of the Rome mint engravers almost year by year, establishing RIC 27 as a fixed benchmark for Roman monetary chronology immediately preceding the introduction of the undated reform series in AD 64.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Because it was struck on the heavier pre-reform standard, the circulation life of RIC I (second edition) Nero 27 was profoundly affected by Gresham's Law following the reform of AD 64. When Nero reduced the gold aureus to approximately 7.27 grams, the earlier aurei of 7.7 to 7.8 grams became intrinsically more valuable than their nominal face value. Consequently, older aurei were systematically withdrawn, melted down, or hoarded by private individuals across the Mediterranean basin and the frontier provinces. Hoard deposits from Britain, Gaul, Pompeii, and Rome reveal that while pre-reform aurei occasionally remained in circulation alongside lighter reform issues into the Flavian period, their numbers dwindled rapidly as imperial authorities recoined them into the lighter standard. Extant specimens today frequently exhibit moderate circulation wear, indicating that they saw commercial and military use for at least several years before being hoarded or recycled.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. I: Augustus to Vitellius. pp. 203-204
2. The Western Coinages of Nero (Numismatic Notes and Monographs 161). pp. 40-45
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC I (second edition) Nero 27. ric.1(2).ner.27
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. I: From 31 BC to AD 69 (revised edition). p. 151, no. 27