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Nero "Ports of Ostia" sestertius

As predicted by our very own lordmarcovan, I have a pretty significant new purchase image Financially, it's one of my more expensive and on the continuum of popular/desired ancients, it's quite high up (as evidenced by its place as #13 in the "100 Greatest Ancient Coins" book from Harlan Berk, who advised me on this purchase and said it's one of the best he's ever seen by a wide margin).

I'm not certain if I'm completely satisfied with this image yet - it was the first one I snapped of the coin upon receiving it this afternoon - but I think it should suffice for now:

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This coin deserves a full writeup, which I will complete shortly, but in the meantime, here's the description verbatim from the auction house:

Nero augustus, 54 – 68
Sestertius circa 64, Æ 22.85 g. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r., with aegis. Rev. AVG – VST Bird’s eye view of Ostia’s harbour. At the top, pharos surmounted by statue of Neptune, holding sceptre; at bottom, reclining figure of Tiber l., holding rudder and dolphin; below, PORT OST. To l. crescent shaped pier with portico. To r., crescent-shaped row of breakwaters. In the centre, seven ships. In upper field, S – C. C 37. BMC 134. RIC 181. CBN –. Very rare. A very attractive specimen of this celebrated issue, well-centred on a very broad flan and complete. A bold portrait and a finely detailed reverse, attractive dark green patina and extremely fine

As an inland city of more than one million people during the reign of Nero, Rome relied heavily upon its Tyrrhenian Sea port at Ostia. Antioch, the great metropolis in Syria, was similarly positioned, as it was about the same distance (c. 15 miles) from its Mediterranean port at Seleucia. Though essential to major inland cities, ports and harbours were perhaps the most challenging of all engineering projects, and they were very costly to build and to maintain. It comes as no surprise that when great ports were completed, it was cause for celebration.

To Romans, such occasions not only affirmed their international renown as engineers, but also represented a new opportunity to reap benefits in transportation, trade, grain supplies and military applications. The construction of a port at Ostia had been considered by both Julius Caesar and Augustus, but the projected expenses were so daunting that it was not until Claudius came to power that construction began; finally, it was finished during the reign of his adoptive son Nero.
Learn about our world's shared history told through the first millennium of coinage: Colosseo Collection

Comments

  • bronzematbronzemat Posts: 2,602 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Stunning coin, one of the better examples I have seen. Congrats!
  • JCMhoustonJCMhouston Posts: 5,306 ✭✭✭
    Very nice piece SmEagle !
  • Blessed Jupiter that is amazing

    looking forward to the full write up image

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    =Recipient of the coveted "You Suck" award 4/28/2014=
  • ZoharZohar Posts: 6,629 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Spectacular. Thinking that this unique reverse was designed almost 2100 years ago makes this one very special. Later modern themes with Neptune/River God capture such motif yet with more advanced minting technology. Thanks for sharing.

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  • nicholasz219nicholasz219 Posts: 1,386 ✭✭✭
    What a catch! Very nice addition!
  • AndresAndres Posts: 977 ✭✭✭
    Beautifull coin , image a bit shocked by the prices these coins command
    collector of Greek banknotes - most beautifull world banknotes - Greek & Roman ancient coins.
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    image

    So nice to see my prediction come true. image

    And to see it in person. (Well, a picture of it posted, anyway.) It really does look nicer than I thought it would.

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  • WeissWeiss Posts: 9,935 ✭✭✭✭✭
    SmEagle1795 is playing an entirely different game than most of us. This piece is better, in my opinion, than the example at the British Museum.

    It is gauche to talk prices (tho it's one of my favorite things to do! image )

    But I see weaker examples in the ~ $20,000 range.
    We are like children who look at print and see a serpent in the last letter but one, and a sword in the last.
    --Severian the Lame
  • STLNATSSTLNATS Posts: 1,597 ✭✭✭
    Great coin. Always like a coin which has specific historical or geographic references and this is a prime example.

    Its been a long time since I was there, but Ostia Antica is a great day trip if you're ever in the vicinity of Rome - really a quick and inexpensive train ride from Termi, the main train station in Rome. The port silted up and the town abandoned in antiquity so a great deal has been preserved. Maybe not quite on the level as Pompeii, but there's a ton to see. There's a market with interesting mosaics that indicate the business of the associated stall owner. Great museum at the location as well. Google it and you'll find a ton of pics and info of the site.

    I'm not sure where my pix are at the moment, but here's a mosiac with similar ships as the coin.

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    Always interested in St Louis MO & IL metro area and Evansville IN national bank notes and Vatican/papal states coins and medals!
  • lordmarcovanlordmarcovan Posts: 43,194 ✭✭✭✭✭
    Wow, that DOES look nicer than the British Museum's example. Theirs looks rather harshly cleaned, while SE1795's has nice patina.

    PS- that's a neat mosaic. I could get lost in some of those mosaics, I'll bet, if I ever saw one in person. Now that I've visited the UK, I've at least set foot on part of the former Roman empire, but didn't get to visit any museums or do any touristy-kind of stuff. It was all digging in farm fields. At least I got to see a Roman sestertius just as it was found.

    If I ever make it back over there (or anywhere in Europe, for that matter), you can bet I'll do more traditional sightseeing and go look at ruins and museums and cathedrals and things.

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