Port of Ostia Sestertius

170, Lot: 212. Estimate $2000. Sold for $2200. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Nero. AD 54-68. Æ Sestertius (34mm, 23.88 g). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck circa AD 67. Laureate head left, globe at point of bust / Port of Ostia with seven ships within the harbor, at the top is a pharos surmounted by a statue of Neptune, below is a reclining figure of Tiber, holding a rudder and dolphin. RIC I 589; BMCRE -; WCN 470. Near VF, dark green patina, minor smoothing and roughness.

Construction on the Port of Ostia was begun in AD 42, by sinking one of Caligula’s pleasure ships that had been filled with cement. The building project was one of the most massive undertaken by the Romans, and was mentioned by many ancient authors. Construction was probably concluded during Nero’s reign, though the exact date is not certain. Located at the mouth of the Tiber river, Ostia became the primary port of Rome, but by the fourth century, the mouth of the river began to silt up and Ostia became a breeding ground for malaria, eventually becoming a ghost town.

Considered by many to be one of the most attractive coins struck by the Roman empire, the Port of Ostia sestertius has long been a favorite of collectors. As evidenced by the large number of reverse dies used for this issue, this issue was probably very large. The Ostia type was struck at Rome in 64 AD and at Lyon in 65-67 AD. Today the Ostia sestertii are not particularly rare, but because of their popularity always command a premium, even for low grade examples.