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Donatives to the Army and Citizens
RIC 96, 97, 101, 134, 135, 153, 154, 155, 157, 160, 161, 162, 489, 491, 492, 501, 502, 503
By Joe Geranio
What an exciting and wonderful set of Nero ADLOCVTIO Sestertius!! I am surprised at the number of Roman coin collectors that do not even know of their existence? All know of Caligula's Adlocutio, but more are surprised at the following set. The CONG I and CONG II legend has caused some speculation, Mattingly suggested the distinction I and II may indicate that one donation was of money, and the other of grain? These sestertius from Rome dated 64 A.D. (RIC- 153, 154, 155, 157, 160, 161, 162) Among the most popular of all Roman reverse types are "platform scenes" in which the princeps, Liberalitis, or a multitude of people and deities , address citizens or soldiers. Adlocutio issues- platform scenes such as this where the princeps addresses the army- first occurred on Roman sestertius under Caligula, and were struck by Nero and princeps after such as Galba, donation scenes such as this, in which the princeps/Liberalitis makes distributions to citizens, first occur under Nero. He struck sestertii with two different scenes, each being congiarium precise events in which a distribution is made to the public. Later, the Donative, in which gifts were made to the army, become popular.The precise event or even events at which Nero made his donatives are not securely known, though the first presumably occurs in 57 A.D. As mentioned above, Mattingly sees a distinction between I and II CONG as one donative of money and the other donative as grain? There is no segregation by the two types, by mint, or even by date of strike. Since as Mattingly states no rhyme or reason to dates, mints, or the two types, he has an argument on one donative for money and one for grain. (see bottom for breakout.) Thanks to http://www.acsearch.info/.
RIC 96- to the army- NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r., with aegis. Rev. S – C Nero standing l. on low platform with praetorian prefect at his side, raising r. hand in address to three soldiers, of whom the two in front carry standards; in the background, the praetorian camp (?). In exergue,ADLOCVT COH. C 8. BMC – . RIC 96. CBN 254. CIRCA 63 A.D. RIC 97. BMC 126. CIRCA 63 A.D.
RIC 101- to citizens- NERO. 54-68 AD. Æ Sestertius (34mm, 24.75 gm). Lugdunum mint. Struck circa 63 AD. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P, Laureate bust right, wearing aegis / CONG II-DAT-POP, Nero seated right on platform; official seated before him, handing congiarium to citizen left, climbing ladder to receive it, child behind; Minerva standing facing, holding owl and spear and Liberalitas standing facing, holding tessera, also on platform. RIC I 101; WCN 72; Cohen -.
RIC 134- to the army- Nero, AE sestertius, Rome mint. 63 AD. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP PP, laureate head right / ADLOCVT COH in ex, S-C across fields, Nero, bare-headed and togate, standing left with praetorian prefect (also bare-headed and togate) on low platform on right, raising right hand in address to three soldiers, standing right in single file, of whom two foremost carry standards; in the background, pillared building below battlemented crescent-shaped structure. RIC 134; cf Sear 1951; MacDowall WCN 103. CIRCA-63 A.D.
RIC 135- to army- NERO. 54-68 AD. Æ Sestertius (28.21 gm). Rome mint. Struck circa 64 AD. NERO · CLAVDIVS · CAESAR · AVG · GERM · P · M · TR · P · IMP · P · P ·, laureate head right, aegis at point of bust / ADLOCVT COH in exergue, S C across field, Nero standing left on daïs with praetorian prefect, addressing three soldiers, two of whom hold standards; tristyle domed building behind. RIC I 134; CNR XVII, 486; WCN 103; BMCRE 122 var. (NERO CLAVD); cf. BN 272 (GERM); cf. Cohen 1 (tetrastyle domed building).
RIC 153- to citizens- Æ Sestertius (26.13 gm). Rome mint. Struck circa 64 AD. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P, laureate and bearded head right, aegis at point of bust / CONG I DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero seated right in curule chair on raised daïs; official seated right, before, drawing tessera from container and handing it to figure climbing ladder left and extending hand to receive it; child standing behind; statue of Minerva standing left on pedestal, holding owl and sceptre and Liberalitas standing facing, holding abacus and extending hand, on daïs behind. RIC I 153; WCN 98; CNR XVIII, 787 = Mazzini 69 (same obverse die); BMCRE 136 var. (obverse legend); BN 275; Cohen 69.
RIC 154- to citizens- Rome Mint-Sestertius circa 64, Æ 24.72 g. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r. Rev. CONG I DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero seated r. on platform l., before him an official seated r. on another platform handing congiarium to citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, with small boy behind him; in background on l., Minerva facing, holding owl and spear and farther r., Liberalitas facing, holding up tessera. SC in exergue.C 69. BMC 136. RIC 154. CBN 279. 
RIC 155- to citizens- Rome Mint- Sestertius circa 64. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r. Rev. CONG I DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero seated r. on platform l., before him an official seated r. on another platform handing congiarium to citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, with small boy behind him; in background on l., Minerva facing, holding owl and spear and farther r., Liberalitas facing, holding up tessera. SC in exergue.RIC 155. WCN 87.
RIC 157- to citizens- Sestertius (26.69 gm, 6h) circa 64. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r. Rev. CONG II DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero, bare-headed and togate, seated right on high platform on left; before him, official seated right on another platform handing congiarium to togate citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, right hand extended, left preparing fold of toga, with small boy behind; in background on left, Minerva facing, head left, right hand holding owl and left holding spear and (on lower level) Liberalitas on right, facing, right hand holding up tessera.RIC 157. WCN 106. BMC 137. 
RIC 160- to citizens- Sestertius circa 64. NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r. Rev. CONG II DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero seated r. on platform l., before him an official seated r. on another platform handing congiarium to citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, with small boy behind him; in background on l., Minerva facing, holding owl and spear and farther r., Liberalitas facing, holding up tessera.RIC 160. WCN 107. BMC 139. 
RIC 161- to citizens-Sestertius (26.33 gm, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa 64 AD.NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r. Rev. CONG II DAT POP, S C in exergue, Nero, bare-headed and togate, seated left on low platform on right, with right hand extended; behind him, 'praefectus annonae' standing facing; below, in front, attendant standing left, handing tessara to citizen right with fold of toga extended; in background, Minerva standing facing, head left, holding owl in right hand and spear in left hand, with flat-roofed tetrastyle building to left of her.RIC 161. WCN 188. BMC 140. 
RIC 489- to army- Sestertius, Lugdunum circa 66, Æ 23.90 g. IMP NERO CAESAR AVG P MAX TRIB POT P P Laureate head l., with globe at point of bust. Rev. S – C Nero standing l. on low platform with praetorian prefect at his side, raising r. hand in address to three soldiers, of whom the two in front carry standards; in the background, the praetorian camp. In exergue,ADLOCVT COH. C 6 var. BMC 304 var. RIC 489. CBN 132 var. 
RIC 491- to army- Sestertius, Lugdunum circa 66, Æ 23.37 g, 7h. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER PM TR P IMP P P Laureate head l., with globe at point of bust. Rev. S – C Nero standing l. on low platform with praetorian prefect at his side, raising r. hand in address to three soldiers, of whom the two in front carry standards; in the background, the praetorian camp. In exergue,ADLOCVT COH. RIC 491; WCN 444; BMCRE -; BN 132; C. 6.
IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONTIF MAX TRIB POT P P Laureate head r., with globe at point of bust. Rev. S – C Nero standing l. on low platform with praetorian prefect at his side, raising r. hand in address to three soldiers, of whom the two in front carry standards; in the background, the praetorian camp. In exergue,ADLOCVT COH. RIC 492; WCN 430. 
RIC 501- to army- Sestertius, Lugdunum circa 66, Æ 25.93 g, 7h.
IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR P P P Laureate head r., with globe at point of bust. Rev. CONG I DAT POPVLO Nero, bare-headed and togate, seated right on high platform on left; before him, official seated right on another platform handing congiarium to togate citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, right hand extended, left preparing fold of toga, with small boy behind; in background on left, Minerva facing, head left, right hand holding owl and left holding spear and (on lower level) Liberalitas on right, facing, right hand holding up tessera. S - C in exergue. RIC 501. WCN 454. 
RIC 503- to citizens- Sestertius, Lugdunum circa 66, Æ 25.42 g.
IMP NERO CAESAR AVG PONT MAX TR POT P P Laureate head l. with globe at point of bust. Rev. CONG – I – DAT – POP Nero seated on platform l., before him an official seated r. on another platform handing congiarium to citizen standing with one foot on a flight of steps, with small boy behind him; in background on l., Minerva facing, holding owl and spear and farther r., Liberalitas facing, holding up tessera, S - C in exergue.C 70 var. BMC 503 var. RIC 503. CBN –.
NOTES ON MISSING SESTERTII FOR NERONIAN SERIES
Sestertii not shown- RIC 100, 1O2, (FULL DESCRIPTION) - 130, 131, 132, 133, 136 - all the same as RIC 134 except.
RIC 136- SAME AS RIC 135 EXCEPT- (RIC 135) but with the laureate bust on obverse facing left
18 ISSUES SHOWN, 7 MISSING PHOTOS.
DATING AND MINT
ROME MINT STRUCK 63 A.D.- RIC 96, 97, 100, 102, 130, 134, 131, 132, 133, ROME MINT STRUCK 64 A.D.- RIC 135, 136, 153, 154, 155, 157, 160, 162, LUGDUNUM MINT STRUCK 66 A.D. RIC 489, 491, 492, 501. 502, 503
CONG I - RIC- 153 (64 A.D.), RIC 154 (64 A.D.), RIC 155 (64 A.D.), RIC 501 (LUGDUNUM-( 66 A.D.), RIC 502 (LUGDUNUM- (66 A.D.), RIC 503 (LUGDUNUM- (66 A.D.)
CONG II RIC- 101 (63 A.D.), RIC 157 (64 A.D.), RIC 160 (64 A.D.), RIC 161 (64 A.D.), RIC 162 (64 A.D.),
JOE GERANIO
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