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Sestertius - Nero ADLOCVT COH S C
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 62-68 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | 29.2 g |
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| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts the adlocutio scene in which Nero, shown in military dress and standing on a raised platform (suggestum), addresses a group of Praetorian soldiers to his left, who are armed with standards and spears. To Nero's right stands a military officer or prefect as attendant. The composition is lively and naturalistic, with figures rendered in fine relief against a plain field. The legend ADLOCVT COH is inscribed in the exergue, while S and C (Senatus Consultum) appear in the left and right fields respectively, authorizing the bronze issue. |
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| Mint | Rome Mint |
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| Additional information |
Nero's adlocutio sestertii were struck in the years following the death of Burrus in 62 AD, after which the emperor's more erratic fiscal and political tendencies went largely unchecked. The scene depicted — an emperor addressing assembled troops — was a deliberate assertion of military legitimacy by a ruler who had never commanded a campaign and was increasingly distrusted by the legions. The Praetorian Guard, whose loyalty Nero purchased directly and repeatedly, are the almost certain subject of the address.
Orichalcum sestertii of this period are frequently found with flan cracks, a consequence of the alloy's brittleness when cast into large blanks at the Roman mint.