Posted on 09/16/2016 8:35:08 AM PDT by NRx
An exceptionally rare gold coin emblazoned with the face of the Roman Emperor Nero dating back to around A.D. 60 has been discovered by archaeologists working on excavations on Mount Zion in Jerusalem.
The coin, which archaeologists say most likely came from a Jewish home, was found in the ruins of wealthy villas from the first century A.D. and according to the archaeologist Shimon Gibson "belonged to the priestly and aristocratic quarter located in the Upper City of Jerusalem".
Gibson, who is an adjunct professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte and part of the team carrying out the excavations, said: "The coin is exceptional because this is the first time that a coin of this kind has turned up in Jerusalem in a scientific dig. Coins of this type are usually only found in private collections, where we don't have clear evidence as to place of origin."
Emperor Nero ruled from A.D. 54 to 68, and is renowned for his persecution of Christians. The coin shows his face in profile, surrounded by the inscription "NERO CAESAR AVG IMP."
On the back of the coin there is an oak wreath and the inscriptions "EX S C" and "PONTIF MAX TR P III."
According to archaeologists, these inscriptions date the coin's creation to either A.D. 56 or A.D. 57.
(Excerpt) Read more at christiantoday.com ...
Yes. "Nero Caesar Augustus -- Imperator."
They liked to take the name of the first emperor -- Augustus.
LOLOL!
“OK, serious question: how much would such a coin have been worth in its day? The article doesn’t say, except that it would have been “extremely valuable,” which is a given.”
1 gold Aureus = 25 silver Denarius
A denarius equaled 1 - 3 days wages for a Roman soldier
Denarius...didn’t he play for the New Orleans Saints ?
It’s hard to quantify the relative value of money from antiquity into modern currency because the economy was so very different. But there is an interesting article at (of course) Wikipedia, Roman Currency...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_currency
Thanks
Keep going, I'd like to see your reasoning.
That Hillary - who could also play several of their roles in The Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire - is supposedly a woman also fits the vain, self-absorbed Nero while its society and ecomonic base fell around her and barbarians began to sweep in across the borders (where invited in!) through a newly-defenseless Roman military.
So where are the other three, George Paul and John?
Nero was born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, but was adopted by Claudius. Through his mother he was a direct descendant of Augustus.
All of the following is from Wikipedia, which may or may not be a reliable source--but if it is, each phrase here describing Commodus also describes the present occupant of the Oval Office:
"comparatively peaceful in the military sense but was marked by political strife and the increasingly arbitrary and capricious behaviour of the emperor himself"
"he seems to have had little interest in the business of administration and tended throughout his reign to leave the practical running of the state to a succession of favourites"
"After those attempts on his life [at the beginning of his reign], Commodus spent much of his time outside Rome, mostly on the family estates at Lanuvium"
"he stressed his own personal uniqueness as the bringer of a new order, seeking to re-cast the empire in his own image"
And the last one...
"During 191, the city of Rome was extensively damaged by a fire that raged for several days...early in 192 Commodus, declaring himself the new Romulus, ritually re-founded Rome, renaming the city Colonia Lucia Annia Commodiana. All the months of the year were renamed to correspond exactly with his (now twelve) names: Lucius, Aelius, Aurelius, Commodus, Augustus, Herculeus, Romanus, Exsuperatorius, Amazonius, Invictus, Felix, Pius. The legions were renamed Commodianae, the fleet which imported grain from Africa was termed Alexandria Commodiana Togata, the Senate was entitled the Commodian Fortunate Senate, his palace and the Roman people themselves were all given the name Commodianus, and the day on which these reforms were decreed was to be called Dies Commodianus."
Anyone here think Obama would not do this, given the opportunity?
I think they were only struck on the one side.
I could be wrong...
No, they were struck on both sides. The coin blank was heated and placed on an anvil which had one image, then struck with a punch which had the other image. I forget which, the anvil or the punch had the ‘heads’ image.
The dies were fairly small, which means the die-makers had to have pretty good skills (and eyesight) to carve the sometimes very intricate designs. There is some speculation that they used water-filled glass globes as magnification tools.
Obama's college records are on it, so it's been sealed.
[[For some unknown reason, nobody is allowed to see the reverse of the coin. Ive searched the web for days without success.]]
You can see the back of the coin on the video they did on it showing the how the woman found it and the coin itself
on the Israeli antiquities website .
http://www.antiquities.org.il/Article_eng.aspx?sec_id=25&subj_id=240&id=4188&hist=1
That’s a different coin, an aureus of Augustus minted during Trajan’s reign.
[[Thats a different coin, an aureus of Augustus minted during Trajans reign.]]
Yeah , thanks I see that now.
They are sometimes really slow to release detailed images of the stuff they find.
The video on the antiquities sight must have been from another coin they found .
Oh wait, you meant the bird, loon...
This topic was posted , thanks NRx.
So THAT’s where I lost it! I guess I won’t get it back, now.... :o|
‘Face
;o]
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