© Trustees of the British Museum
© Trustees of the British Museum
Sestertius - Nero CONG I DAT POP S C; Minerva and Liberalitas
| Bronze | 25.9 g | - |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Nero (Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus) (54-68) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Years | 62-68 |
| Value | 1 Sestertius = ¼ Denarius |
| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
| Composition | Bronze |
| Weight | 25.9 g |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-06 |
| Numista | N#246713 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Nero, bare-headed and togate, seated right, on platform, left; official seated right on another platform extending congiarium to citizen with small boy behind him; Minerva, head left, holding owl and spear, and Liberalitas on right, holding tessera.
Script: Latin
Lettering: CONG I DAT POP S C
Translation:
Congiarium Primum Datum Populo, Senatus Consultum.
The first congiarium (distribution of money to the civilians) given to the people. Decree of the senate.
Comment
Source: Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE)Interesting fact
One interesting fact about this coin is that it features an image of Minerva, the Roman goddess of wisdom, on one side, and Liberalitas, the Roman goddess of liberty, on the other. This suggests that the coin was minted during a time when the Roman Empire was valuesing the ideas of wisdom and freedom. Additionally, the fact that it was made of bronze, a relatively inexpensive metal, suggests that it was intended for widespread circulation among the general population.
