One of ancient history 's most infamous characters, Nero rose to power in his mid-teens following the death of Claudius, his adoptive father. To speed things along he had Britannicus poisoned and in league with his mother Agrippina had had Claudius poisoned as well. His next few years were fairly unremarkable one way or the other largely in part because of Agrippina 's overbearing influence. He corrected the problem, however, by having her executed on the pretext that she had a unfavorable view of Poppaea, his new mistress. Because he was already married to a certain Octavia he had her exiled and murdered as well. He would later kick Poppaea to death while she was pregnant. To round things out he had his teacher Seneca, another influential man of his age, commit suicide on suspicions of him and others plotting against him. 
Popular legend holds that he set fire to Rome. Modern historians dismiss this account as an exaggeration but his decision to hold a poetry recital with the conflagration as his background was a crass political blunder that would hurt his popularity immensely. Needing to find a scapegoat, he chose to point the finger at Christians who up until then had been but a fledgling cult. For the next 300 years Christians would be vilified for every ailment within the empire and used regularly as cannon fodder in the Coliseum. In one of the more bizarre spectacles imaginable, Nero would set Christians on fire and held in position to act as torches during his parties. 
Becoming ever more hated for his cruelty and the demoralizing effect of the execution of countless innocent individuals, one by one far-flung provinces seceded and named emperors among their own. When Nero was unable to deal with the insurgencies he lost hope and fled to the countryside. The Senate then issued a warrant for his arrest and, on hearing of this, decided to commit suicide... but not before asking one of his slaves to commit suicide first just to see what it was going to be like!
 
Nero left the world a wide variety of coins struck in bronze, brass, silver and gold. The collector will find that the bronzes are quite a bit scarcer than for the previous emperors so far while the silver Denarii are the first to be found that are not only commonly available but reasonably affordable as well.
 
Nero tinkered with the silver content of the Denarius in an unwise bid to stretch the output of the silver mines and pay off the soldiers with a slightly cheaper coin. It hardly took any time for Rome 's savvy merchants to notice that the new money was of a lower fineness than that of his predecessors. Exploiting the fact that the Denarius itself was still worth just as much as before, the old Denarii were rapidly hoarded and withdrawn from circulation. This caused an immediate shortage of money which forced Nero to issue literally millions of new coins. The effect of the public hoarding and possibly melting the old coins to sell as bullion along with the intense new striking campaign makes Nero 's Denarii much more common than those of, say, Caligula or Claudius.
 
While a mint state Denarius can often be a thousand-dollar affair one that has gracefully aged may only cost $100 or so. Sestertii, Dupondii and Asses are, as mentioned above, not as common anymore as they were for the previous emperors but there are now many more types and the artistry has improved considerably. One such well preserved specimen is often worth many thousands of dollars and considered a supreme example of classical Roman art.       

Busts:

 
1) Bare head left
2) Bare head right
3) Bare head right over Agrippina II draped bust right
4) Bare-headed, draped bust left
5) Bare-headed, draped bust right
6) Laureate head left
7) Laureate head right
8) Laureate, cuirassed bust right
9) Radiate head left
10) Radiate head right

 
a) Altar with owl atop
b) Cippus with helmet atop with shield and spear leaning against it

 

Obverses:

 
1) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG
2) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P PP
3) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM
4) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P PP
5) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P XIII PP
6) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P XIV PP
7) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERMANIC
8) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS
9) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX
10) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TR P P
11) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TR P PP
12) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TR POT PP
13) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TRIB POT PP
14) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PM TR P PP
15) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PM TR POT PP
16) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT
17) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR P PP
18) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR POT PP
19) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONTIF
20) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONTIF MAX TRIB POT PP
21) IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PP
22) IMP NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS
23) IMP NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P PP
24) IMP NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P XIII PP
25) NERO CAE AVG IMP
26) NERO CAES AVG IMP
27) NERO CAESAR
28) NERO CAESAR AVG GER IMP
29) NERO CAESAR AVG GERM IMP
30) NERO CAESAR AVG IMP
31) NERO CAESAR AVG IMP TR POT PP
32) NERO CAESAR AVG IMP TR POT XI P PP
33) NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS
34) NERO CL CAE AVG
35) NERO CL CAE AVG GER
36) NERO CL CAES AVG GER
37) NERO CL DIVI F CAES AVG PM TR P II
38) NERO CLA CA AVG GER
39) NERO CLA CAE AVG GER
40) NERO CLA CAES AVG GER
41) NERO CLAV CAE AVG
42) NERO CLAV CAE AVG GER
43) NERO CLAV CAE AVG GER PM TR P IM
44) NERO CLAV CAES AVG GER
45) NERO CLAV CAESAR AVG
46) NERO CLAV CAESAR AVG GER
47) NERO CLAVD CAE AVG
48) NERO CLAVD CAE AVG GER
49) NERO CLAVD CAES AVG GER
50) NERO CLAVD CAES AVG GERM
51) NERO CLAVD CAES DRVSVS GERM PRINC IVVENT
52) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG
53) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GE
54) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER
55) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP
56) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP P
57) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP PP
58) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM
59) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM IMP PP
60) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P IMP
61) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P IMP P
62) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P IMP PP
63) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMA
64) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMAN
65) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMANI
66) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMANIC
67) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMANICV
68) NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS
69) NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERM
70) NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERMA
71) NERO CLAVD DIVI CLAVD F CAESAR AVG GERMANI
72) NERO CLAVD DIVI F CAES AVG GERM IMP TR P COS
73) NERO CLAVDIVS CAES AVG GERM
74) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER
75) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP P
76) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP PP
77) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM
78) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P IMP P
79) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM PM TR P IMP PP
80) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMA
81) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMA IMP
82) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMAN
83) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANIC
84) NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS
85) NERONI CLAVDIO DRVSO GERM COS DESIGN

 

Reverses:

 
1) AGRIPP AVG DIVI CLAVD NERONIS CAES MATER
2) AGRIPPINA AVGVSTA MATER AVGVSTI
3) AGRIPPINAE AVGVSTAE
4) ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES
5) AVGVSTI S POR OST C
6) AVGVSTVS AVGVSTA
7) AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS
8) CER QVINC ROM CO
9) CER QVINQ ROM CON
10) CERT QVINC ROM CO
11) CERT QVINC ROM CON
12) CERTA QVINC ROM CO
13) CERTA QVINC ROM CON
14) CERTAMEN QVINC ROM CO
15) CONCORDIA AVGVSTA
16) CONG I DAT POP
17) CONG II DAT
18) CONG II DAT POP
19) CONG II DAT POP R
20) DIVOS CLAVD AVGVST GERMANIC PATER AVG
21) EQVESTER / ORDO / PRINCIPI / IVVENT
22) GENIO AVGVSTI
23) GER PM TR P IMP PP
24) GER PON MAX TR P IMP PP
25) IANVM CLVSIT PACE P R TERRA MARIQ PARTA
26) IVPPITER CVSTOS
27) MAC AVG
28) PACE P R TERRA MARIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT
29) PACE P R VBIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT
30) PM TR P IMP PP
31) PM TR P IMP PP
32) PON M TR P IMP PP
33) PON MA TR P IMP PP
34) PON MAX TR P IMP PP
35) PONTIF MA TR P IMP PP
36) PONTIF MAX TR P II PP
37) PONTIF MAX TR P III COS II
38) PONTIF MAX TR P III PP
39) PONTIF MAX TR P IIII PP
40) PONTIF MAX TR P IMP PP
41) PONTIF MAX TR P V PP
42) PONTIF MAX TR P VI COS IIII PP
43) PONTIF MAX TR P VI PP
44) PONTIF MAX TR P VII COS IIII PP
45) PONTIF MAX TR P VIII COS IIII PP
46) PONTIF MAX TR P VIIII COS IIII PP
47) PONTIF MAX TR P X COS IIII PP
48) PONTIF MAX TR POT IMP PP
49) PONTIF MAX TR POTEST IMP PP
50) PORT AVG
51) QER QVINC ROMAE CONS
52) SACERD COOPT IN OMN CONL SVPRA NVM
53) SECVRITAS AVGVSTI
54) TR PON PP
55) TR POT PP
56) VESTA
57) VICT AVG
58) VICTORIA AVGVSTI
59) No legend

 

Types:

 
1) Agrippina II draped bust right
2) Agrippina II veiled, diademed, draped bust right
3) Altar
4) Annona standing right on left, resting hand on hip and holding cornucopia, facing Ceres seated to right, holding grain ears over modius and torch; galley prow in background.
5) Apollo advancing right, playing lyre.
6) Branch
7) Ceres standing left, holding grain ears and torch.
8) Claudius laureate head right
9) Concordia seated left, holding patera and cornucopia
10) Genius standing left, sacrificing over altar and holding patera
11) Jupiter seated left, holding thunderbolt and scepter.
12) Macellum Magnum market; statue at entrance, holding scepter.
13) Nero riding horse left, holding spear; soldier in background also riding horse left, holding standard.
14) Nero riding horse right, holding spear; soldier behind also riding horse right, holding vexillum.
15) Nero riding horse right, holding spear; solider holding vexillum to right and soldier holding standard to left.
16) Nero seated left on platform to right, accompanied by Praetorian Prefect, facing official in center giving donative to citizen to left; Minerva in background, holding owl and scepter.
17) Nero seated right on platform to left, official in center giving donative to citizen on ladder, holding baby and with child to lower right; Liberalitas and Minerva in background.
18) Nero standing left on left, holding patera and scepter, and Poppaea (or Messalina) standing left on right, holding patera and cornucopia.
19) Nero standing left on platform, raising hand, accompanied by Praetorian Prefect, facing three soldiers to left; temple in background. 
20) Nero standing, facing, holding branch and Victory on globe.
21) Nero standing, facing, holding patera and cornucopia
22) Port of Ostia viewed from above, ringed by harbor buildings and galleys within.
23) Quadriga of elephants riding left, carrying Claudius and Augustus, each holding a scepter.
24) Roma seated left, holding scepter and resting arm on shield.
25) Roma seated left, holding Victory and parazonium.
26) Roma seated left, holding wreath and parazonium.
27) Roma standing right, stepping on helmet, holding shield.
28) Sacrificial implements: simpulum over altar to left and lituus over patera to right.
29) Salus seated left, holding patera.
30) Securitas seated right, resting head on hand and holding scepter; altar to right.
31) Shield reading EQVESTER / OR DO / PRINCIPI / IVVENT
32) Standards (2), legionary eagle in center.
33) Table; letter S, urn and wreath above.
34) Temple of Janus (doors and building structure)
35) Temple of Janus (doors only)
36) Temple with (6) columns, Vesta seated within, holding patera and scepter.
37) Triumphal arch with quadriga above and statue of Mars on left wing.
38) Victory advancing left, holding shield reading SPQR
39) Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm
40) Victory advancing right, holding Palladium.
41) Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm
42) Victory seated right on globe, holding opened wreath
43) Victory standing right, stepping on globe, holding shield
44) Virtus standing left, stepping on weapons, holding parazonium and spear.
45) Wreath, Agrippina II draped bust right within
46) Wreath, EX SC within

 

Mints:

 
1) Caesarea Cappadociae
2) Lugdunum
3) Roma

 
 
AU Aureus Reference(s)
 
1) B02, O30, R42, T46 RIC I 19, BMC 21, C 213
2) B02, O30, R44, T07 EX SC across fields RIC I 23, BMC 25, C 217
3) B02, O30, R44, T44 EX SC across fields RIC I 25, BMC 27, C 219
4) B03, O72, R01, T23 EX SC in left field RIC I 6, BMC 7, C 3
5) B04, O51, R52, T28 RIC 76 (I, Claudius)
6) B07, O22, R26, T11 RIC I 63, BMC 77, C 120
7) B07, O22, R59, T29 Exe: SALVS RIC I 66, BMC 94, C 317
8) B07, O27, R07, T20 RIC I 46, BMC 56
9) B07, O33, R06, T18 RIC I 44, BMC 52, C 42
10) B07, O33, R15, T09 RIC I 48, BMC 61
11) B07, O33, R25, T35 RIC I 50, BMC 64, C 114
12) B07, O33, R26, T11 RIC I 52, BMC 67, C 118
13) B07, O33, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 54, BMC 81, C 257
14) B07, O33, R59, T29 Exe: SALVS RIC I 59, C 313

 
AR Drachm
 
15) B07, O69, R20, T08 RIC I 621

 
AR Denarius
 
16) B02, O30, R44, T07 EX SC across fields RIC I 24, C 218
17) B02, O30, R44, T07 EX SC across fields RIC I 30
18) B02, O30, R44, T46 RIC I 22
19) B02, O30, R45, T27 EX SC across fields RIC I 28, C 222
20) B04, O51, R52, T28 RIC 77 (I, Claudius)
21) B05, O85, R59, T31 RIC 79 (I, Claudius)
22) B07, O21, R26, T11 RIC I 69, C 123
23) B07, O21, R59, T25 RO MA across fields RIC I 70
24) B07, O21, R59, T29 Exe: SALVS RIC I 72
25) B07, O21, R59, T32 RIC I 68
26) B07, O22, R26, T11 RIC I 64
27) B07, O22, R59, T29 Exe: SALVS RIC I 67
28) B07, O27, R07, T20 RIC I 47, C 45
29) B07, O33, R06, T18 RIC I 45, C 43
30) B07, O33, R15, T09 RIC I 49, C 67
31) B07, O33, R26, T11 RIC I 53, C 119
32) B07, O33, R56, T36 RIC I 62, C 335
33) B07, O33, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 55, C 258
34) B07, O33, R59, T29 Exe: SALVS RIC I 60, C 314

 
AR Quinarius 
 
35) B07, O72, R59, T42  

 

Nero Quinarius circa 55-56- Joe Geranio- Rare.

 
 
AE Sestertius Reference(s)
 
36) B05, O85, R59, T31 RIC 108 (I, Claudius), C 99
37) B06, O11, R58, T39 
38) B06, O18, R04, T04 Exe: SC RIC I 495, C 22
39) B06, O18, R16, T17 Exe: SC RIC I 503
40) B06, O56, R58, T39 Exe: II RIC I 410, C 346
41) B06, O57, R28, T34 RIC I 439
42) B06, O57, R50, T22 RIC I 441, C 252
43) B06, O57, R59, T14 Exe: DECVRSIO RIC I 397, C 86
44) B06, O57, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 274
45) B06, O57, R59, T37 RIC I 393, C 306
46) B06, O62, R16, T17 Exe: SC 
47) B06, O62, R59, T37 RIC I 146
48) B06, O76, R18, T16 Exe: SC RIC I 162, C 79
49) B06, O76, R59, T14 Exe: DECVRSIO RIC I 171, C 84
50) B06, O78, R59, T15 Exe: DECVRSIO RIC I 108, C 95
51) B07, O11, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 591, C 266
52) B07, O14, R58, T39 RIC I 600, C 342
53) B07, O18, R53, T30 Exe: SC RIC I 520, C 324
54) B07, O20, R04, T04 Exe: SC RIC I 496, C 23
55) B07, O24, R59, T24 Exe: ROMA RIC I 356, C 284
56) B07, O56, R59, T37
57) B07, O57, R05, T22 RIC I 178, C 37
58) B07, O57, R25, T34 RIC I 438, C 146
59) B07, O57, R28, T34 RIC I 264, C 146
60) B07, O57, R59, T14 Exe: DECVRSIO RIC I 396, C 86
61) B07, O57, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 273
62) B07, O57, R59, T37 RIC I 143, C 308
63) B07, O62, R59, T17 Exe: SC RIC I 153, C 69
64) B07, O75, R59, T19 Exe: ADLOCVTCOH RIC I 134
65) B07, O76, R18, T16 Exe: SC RIC I 160, C 78
66) B07, O76, R59, T14 Exe: DECVRSIO RIC I 165, C 91

 
AE Dupondius
 
67) B06, O11, R53, T30 Exe: SC RIC I 519
68) B06, O57, R53, T30 Exe: II RIC I 407
69) B06, O62, R58, T39 Exe: II RIC I 410, C 346
70) B09, O55, R27, T12 S C across lower fields RIC I 400, C 128
71) B09, O57, R27, T12 Exe: II RIC I 185
72) B09, O57, R58, T10 Exe: II RIC I 197
73) B09, O62, R58, T39 Exe: II RIC I 199, C 348
74) B10, O23, R29, T34 RIC I 342
75) B10, O23, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 344, C 279
76) B10, O57, R58, T39 Exe: II RIC I 196, C 349
77) B10, O57, R58, T39 Exe: II RIC I 377
78) B10, O57, R59, T25 Exe: ROMA RIC I 296
79) B10, O62, R53, T30 Exe: II 
80) B10, O62, R58, T39 RIC I 115

 
AE As
 
81) B01, O11, R59, T38 RIC I 606, C 303
82) B01, O12, R59, T38 RIC I 546
83) B02, O07, R59, T38 RIC I 543
84) B02, O11, R59, T38 RIC I 605, C 302
85) B02, O18, R59, T03 Exe: ARAPACIS RIC I 526, C 29
86) B02, O56, R59, T38 RIC I 475
87) B06, O29, R59, T39 RIC I 313
88) B06, O57, R27, T12 Exe: SC RIC I 402, C 65
89) B07, O07, R59, T38 RIC I 368
90) B07, O29, R29, T34 RIC I 306, C 171
91) B07, O29, R59, T39 RIC I 312
92) B07, O65, R48, T05 RIC I 380
93) B07, O76, R58, T39 
94) B07, O83, R48, T05 RIC I 210

 
AE Semis
 
95) B07, O26, R08, T33 Exe: SC RIC I 233, C 47

 
AE Quadrans
 
96) Ba, O42, R30, T06 RIC I 260, C 185
97) Bb, O42, R30, T06 RIC I 317