Lot 2436
Nero, AD 54-68. Gold Aureus (7.18 g) minted at Rome, c. AD 66-7. Laureate head right of Nero. Reverse: Jupiter seated left on throne, holding thunderbolt and long scepter. RIC 63 [as Rare]; BMC 77. Choice Very Fine, attractively toned in red in protected areas, with some underlying luster.
The reduction of weight at this time is well recorded by the historian Pliny. During the Augustan era, gold aurei were minted 41 to the Roman pound; after AD 64, 45 aurei to the pound. The denarii were also reduced at roughly the same percentage. Just wait for the late AD 2nd-3rd centuries. Quite a model for America in 1964/5!
Estimated Value $2,000 - 3,000.
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| Realized $7,475 |
