Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Nero

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

67-68

Roman, minted in Alexandria, Egypt

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays a bust of Emperor Nero, facing left, wearing a cuirass (military cloak). The date this coin was struck is indicated in the inscription ” LI ∆ ” (only the last letter is visible in this example), which means the fourteenth year of Nero’s reign, or 67-68 CE. Nero reigned as emperor from 54-68 CE.
The back (reverse) depicts the bust of the god Apollo of Actium, facing right, a quiver on his shoulder, and a star before. Nero’s fondness of music and the arts is demonstrated in this imperial type showing the god of these themes, Apollo.

Status: Currently Off View
Department: Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Artist: Ancient Roman
Title: Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Nero
Place: Egypt (Artist's nationality)
Date Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.: 67 CE–68 CE
Medium: Billon
Inscriptions: Obverse: [NEΡΩ K]ΛAY KAIΣ ΣEB ΓEΡ A[V], LIΔ before Reverse: [AKTIOΣ] AΠOΛΛΩN
Dimensions: Diam.: 2.4 cm (1 in.)
Credit Line: Gift of Robert L. Grover
Reference Number: 1979.1089
IIIF Manifest The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world. Learn more.: https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/142281/manifest.json

Art Institute of Chicago, Annual Report: 1979-80 (Art Institute of Chicago, 1980), p. 31.

Robert L. Grover (1910-1998), Chicago; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 1979.

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