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EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero. AD 54-68. Æ Drachm (35mm, 29.46 g, 12h). Dated RY 14 (AD 67/8). Laureate head right; L I∆ (date) below chin / [ΖΕΥΣ ΚΑ]ΠΕΤΩΛΙΟΣ, Zeus Capitolias enthroned left, holding long scepter and thunderbolt; at feet, left eagle standing left, head right. Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 281; K&G 14.118 corr. (obv. legend); RPC I 5318A; Emmett 140.14 (R5). Red and brown patina, smoothed, details enhanced. Good Fine. Extremely rare, only six in RPC.
This coin is one of the great rarities of the Alexandrian series, with only one other specimen having been offered for sale (Marcel Jungfleisch Collection, Sotheby’s, 1972, lot 26, which also was holed twice in antiquity). Another, heavily worn example resides in the collection of the American Numismatic Society in New York City (mistakenly attributed to regnal year 11).
Nero issued a prodigious amount of billon tetradrachms at the Alexandria mint. It has been speculated that this was part of his fund-raising campaign to rebuild Rome after the devastating fire of AD 64 (he melted down the higher silver content tetradrachms already in circulation, and replaced them with the lower silver content billon tetradrachms). As a result, bronze coinage in general was neglected during Nero’s reign in Alexandria, especially the larger denominations – hemidrachm and drachm.
Closing Date and Time: 23 October 2024 at 12:31:20 ET.
All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.
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