Sestertius of Nero - Roman coin Replica
This is a replica of a bronze coin, the Sestertius. During the Roman Republic it was a small, silver coin issued only on rare occasions. During the Roman Empire, however, it became a large brass coin. The name Sestertius (originally semis-tertius) means "2 ½", the coin's original value in Asses.
The replica Sestertius coin shows the laureate head of Nero on the obverse and Nero on horseback with a second horseman on the reverse.
Nero was Roman Emperor from 54 to 68, and the last in the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius and became his heir and successor. As Emperor, he focused on diplomacy, trade and enhancing the cultural life of the Empire, ordered theatres built and promoted athletic games. During his reign, his general Suetonius Paulinus crushed a revolt in Britain and the First Roman-Jewish War began.
In 64 AD, most of Rome was destroyed in the Great Fire of Rome, which many Romans believed Nero himself had started in order to clear land for his planned palatial complex, the Domus Aurea. Nero's rule is often associated with tyranny and extravagance. He is known for many executions, including that of his mother, and the probable murder by poison of his stepbrother Britannicus.
This is a replica of an ancient Roman coin of the emperor Nero.
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