Sestertius - Nero ADLOCVT COH S C

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.