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Roman Empire: Nero (54-68 AD): orichalcum dupondius, struck circa 64 AD

NERO (54-68 AD), orichalcum dupondius, struck ca. 64 AD

Obverse- NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P, radiate head right.
Reverse- VICTORIA AVGVSTI/ S-C, Victory flying left, holding wreath, II (mark of value) in exergue.

RIC 196 (?), 34.5 mm, 15.5 g. NGC Choice Fine (Strike 4/5, Surface 4/5, with "Fine Style" comment), cert. #4094568-008. Ex- Mike R. Vosper Coins, UK, November 2011, through eBay, purchased raw.

Check it out. There's a space shuttle taking off behind the female figure on the reverse of this First century Nero dupondius!

And here I thought the first shuttle launch happened when I was a kid in the 1970s. Looks like I was nearly 2,000 years off, huh? I knew the Romans were advanced for their time, but... wow.

This thick and chunky orichalcum dupondius has some of the brassy color showing. I really like the look of it, and I'm not alone in that- this coin has garnered some admiring comments from other collectors. What's fun is that the rendering of Victory's wing makes it look like a space shuttle is flying behind her and is about to whack her in the head! Just imagine what flights of fancy the "ancient aliens" theorists could come up with, using this coin as "evidence"! I affectionately refer to it as "my Space Shuttle dupondius" and a few people actually know which coin I mean when I say that.

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    You need to submit the picture to Ancient Aliens on the History channel. They would love this coin.

    Ron
    Collect for the love of the hobby, the beauty of the coins, and enjoy the ride.
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    harashaharasha Posts: 3,079 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Could be a comet, or some other celestial event.
    Honors flysis Income beezis Onches nobis Inob keesis

    DPOTD
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Could be a comet, or some other celestial event. >>



    Hey, a shuttle launch IS a "celestial event" of sorts, right?

    Nah, it's Victory's wing. But it sure looks like the space shuttle, doesn't it?

    She'd better duck! It's about to whack her behind the head! image

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    It could have, and did, fool me.

    Ron
    Collect for the love of the hobby, the beauty of the coins, and enjoy the ride.
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    SapyxSapyx Posts: 2,011 ✭✭✭✭✭
    As the Wildwinds example of the type perhaps illustrates better, LordM's "space shuttle" is formed from a combination of Victory's wing and the palm branch she's holding.
    Waste no more time arguing what a good man should be. Be one.
    Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius, "Meditations"

    Apparently I have been awarded one DPOTD. B)
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    AethelredAethelred Posts: 9,288 ✭✭✭


    << <i>You need to submit the picture to Ancient Aliens on the History channel. They would love this coin. >>



    They would love it and they would use it! They have never seen a light in the sky or something unclear on an ancient tablet that WASN'T a UFO.
    If you are in the Western North Carolina area, please consider visiting our coin shop:

    WNC Coins, LLC
    1987-C Hendersonville Road
    Asheville, NC 28803


    wnccoins.com
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    WillieBoyd2WillieBoyd2 Posts: 5,038 ✭✭✭✭✭
    See the Empire in your Chevrolet:

    image

    Reclining seats, too!

    image
    https://www.brianrxm.com
    The Mysterious Egyptian Magic Coin
    Coins in Movies
    Coins on Television

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    Nice coin Rob!!

    image
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    OldEastsideOldEastside Posts: 4,602 ✭✭✭✭✭
    That stuff does make you wonder

    Steve
    Promote the Hobby
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭


    << <i>Nice coin Rob!! >>

    Not mine... yet.

    But I'm thinkin' about it. image

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    secondrepublicsecondrepublic Posts: 2,619 ✭✭✭
    love it! image
    "Men who had never shown any ability to make or increase fortunes for themselves abounded in brilliant plans for creating and increasing wealth for the country at large." Fiat Money Inflation in France, Andrew Dickson White (1912)
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    stevebensteveben Posts: 4,596 ✭✭✭✭✭
    maybe they knew about xenu busing people here on starships that looked like airplanes. is this tom cruise's coin by any chance?

    haha..


    cool coin. i would score it if the price is right.
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    A second thought on this post. Would not a space shuttle be considered Victory's wings?

    Ron
    Collect for the love of the hobby, the beauty of the coins, and enjoy the ride.
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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Good point, Ron. Yep, a space shuttle is sort of a "victory's wings" sorta thing, ain't it.

    I have just bought this coin. I was looking at a silver denarius of Nero, too, and usually prefer silver over bronze (except when the bronze is a well detailed monster sestertius!), but this dupondius just kind of "spoke to me". The "space shuttle" anomaly is just an added conversation starter, as far as I'm concerned.

    So now I lack only Caligula and Galba for a complete Twelve Caesars set.

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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    This coin is here now and it's even more awesome in hand. I love the high relief- the portrait of Nero comes way up off the coin. Roman bankers could never have stacked these things, that's for sure.

    PS- LOL @ WB2's "Chevrolet" post from 11/29. I've had that same thought a time or two when viewing that type.

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    lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,218 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Thread resurrection. I dredged this back up to get the picture for the "space shuttle" joke over on CoinTalk.



    The "Space Shuttle Dupondius" went to live with Aethelred in 2013.



    I don't mind, because it was part of the swap deal that got me his signature Aethelred penny.


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    bidaskbidask Posts: 13,865 ✭✭✭✭✭
    I like that coin !
    I manage money. I earn money. I save money .
    I give away money. I collect money.
    I don’t love money . I do love the Lord God.




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