Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

Nero, with Agrippina II. Silver Denarius (3.65 g), AD 54-68. Rome, AD 55. NERO CLAVD DIVI F CAES AVG GERM IMP TR P COS, jugate busts of Nero and Agrippina II right, Nero with a small fold of drapery behind neck, Agrippina draped. Reverse AGRIPP AVG DIVI CLAVD NERONIS CAES MATER, the diefied emperors Augustus and Claudius seated on a cart drawn by four elephants left; in upper left field, EX S C. RIC 7; BMC 8; RSC 4. Well struck and perfectly centered with the portrait of Nero in high relief. Lovely old cabinet toning. An incredible coin! Superb Extremely Fine.

For the first few years of Nero's reign while he was still a minor, his mother Agrippina enjoyed unparalleled supremacy, firmly dominating the young emperor. Her portrait and title ostentatiously adorn the early coin issues from the reign, some with her bust alone and others, such as on this handsome denarius, showing jugate busts of her son and herself. As Nero became older he strongly resented Agrippina's dominance over him and meddling, and by AD 59 things had deteriorated to such a state of affairs that he had her murdered. In hindsight this is perhaps not entirely surprising; even by ancient standards the actions of the imperial family at this time were considered vile. Suetonius even records that on the day of Nero's birth, "Many people at once made many direful predictions from his horoscope, and a remark of his father Domitius was also regarded as an omen; for while receiving the congratulations of his friends, he said that 'nothing that was not abominable and a public bane could be born of Agrippina and himself.'" (Seut. Nero vi).
Estimated Value $20,000 - 25,000.
Ex NFA XXV (29 November 1990), 356.