2017-10-02 Mon

An interesting circa A.D. 97 gold aureus issued by Roman Emperor Nerva will be offered by Numismatica Ars Classica on 24th October in Zurich. The control of power between the military and the ruling class in ancient Rome is portrayed on this coin. The coin features a portrait of Nerva on the obverse. The reverse depicts hands holding a legionary eagle over a prow. Apart from the small nick on the obverse, the offered coin is Good Very Fine / About Extremely Fine. It has an estimate of 12,500 Swiss francs.

Nerva’ s predecessor had taken the decision to increase the annual wages for soldiers from 225 denarii to 300 denarii. The coins used to pay these wages were heavier and purer, increasing the net value.

The catalogue stated that an old senator would have found it difficult to implement this change. The army played a pivotal role in making and maintaining emperors for almost 60 years before that. Nerva applied Domitian’s standards of heavy, pure aurei and dedicated the reverse types to the army.

The reverse design suggested that he hoped for the army and the Senate to work together. But there were two assassination plots in the year this coin was issued. Nerva succumbed to natural death four months after issuing this coin. Trajan became the successor after Nerva's death.