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Denarius - Nerva CONCORDIA EXERCITVVM
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 96 |
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| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
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|---|---|
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| Reverse description | Two right hands clasped in a dextrarum iunctio (handshake), rendered in bold relief at the centre of the field, symbolising the concordia — harmony and loyalty — between the emperor and the Roman legions. The design is stark and emblematic, with no subsidiary figures or exergual markings, allowing the gesture to occupy the full visual field. The circumferential legend CONCORDIA EXERCITVVM arcs around the upper and lower perimeter in well-spaced Latin capitals. The plain field surrounding the clasped hands is slightly worn, consistent with circulation use. This type was issued early in Nerva's reign as a deliberate propaganda message directed at the military. |
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| Edge | Plain |
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| Additional information |
Nerva struck the CONCORDIA EXERCITVVM type within weeks of taking power in September 96 AD, following the assassination of Domitian by palace conspirators. The message was not subtle — Nerva had no military background, no legionary loyalty, and the Rhine armies made their hostility plain almost immediately. The type was a direct appeal for army support from a 66-year-old senator who had never commanded troops.
It failed to convince. In October 97, a Praetorian mutiny forced Nerva to publicly thank his own captors. He adopted Trajan — a respected general — within weeks, effectively conceding the point this coin had tried to argue.