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Sestertius - Nero DECVRSIO S C
| Issuer | Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Year | 62-68 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Reference(s) | RIC I#509, OCRE#ric.1(2).ner.509 |
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| Reverse description | Nero, bare-headed and cuirassed with cloak billowing behind him, is depicted prancing to the right on horseback while holding a spear in his right hand, conveying an image of imperial military authority. Behind and to the right of the emperor rides a single mounted soldier, also progressing to the right, holding a vexillum (military standard) over his shoulder. The scene illustrates the decursio, a formal Roman military cavalry exercise performed on ceremonial occasions, here used to project Nero's martial prestige. The legend DECVRSIO appears in the field, with the senatorial authorisation mark S C (Senatus Consultum) prominently placed, as was standard on large bronze denominations of the period. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The DECVRSIO type belongs to a concentrated burst of ambitious bronze coinage Nero issued from the Rome mint in the mid-60s AD, a period when he was simultaneously draining the treasury on the Domus Aurea and debasing the silver coinage. The sestertius suffered no such debasement — orichalcum and bronze denominations held their metallurgical standards — but the iconographic program grew noticeably self-aggrandizing. The decursio, a formal cavalry parade exercise performed by the emperor, was a calculated assertion of military competence from a ruler whose generals were actively fighting wars he never personally approached.