Nero?

[Vepcorf]

I wonder if someone could help with identifying this coin it was found by my university who are digging a roman fort at Binchester see link if interested http://binchester.blogspot.co.uk/
If it is nero it would make it the earliest coin from the dig so far. Its condition is very poor and the reverse is just about eaten away by corrosion. Any help would be appreciated thanks.

[pantheon]

Judging from your photograph of the obverse side only, this does appear to be a coin of Nero, probably a silver denarius minted from about AD 64, to near the end of his reign (AD 68); the date based on the more mature appearance of his portrait. Thanks for sharing this find!

[Vepcorf]

Thanks so much for that this is the reverse but its going to be hard to judge anything from that lol.

[pantheon]

Indeed, the reverse appears too far gone, to be able to make an accurate identification, for a specific variety of denarius, and I think the portrait will have to suffice for a general identification. However, the diameter of this piece, based on the measure you included in the photographs, is consistent with an imperial silver denarius from the mid-first century AD. Normally such a coin would weigh about 3.5 grams; though, with the losses due to the corrosive exposure in the ground over such a long period of time, I would imagine this example is rather under that weight. Nevertheless, a most interesting and illuminating find! Where on earth would Roman archeology be, without such assistance from coin finds? Hopefully additional material will be unearthed in future, which will further help the dating of this site.

[Vepcorf]

I dont think there is any written contemporary sources for Binchester. the fort i think was constructed about AD 80 and we have one other coin from Otho so these coins could have been with the first roman soldiers who set the camp up. many 4th century coins have been found and some nice artefacts that i get to identify and conserve i think my favourite this season has been a roman door key in the form of a lion.

[pantheon]

I don't think it overly unusual that a coin of Nero would still be in circulation during the Flavian period, of the later first century, when your fort was first established. How often do we receive coins in change for paper money, that may be 30 or 40 years old, or even older; it is a frequency (with myself at least). Certainly the Romans would have had an interest in keeping coinage as current as possible, as it was their method of communication with their massive empire; old currency in circulation meant old information in the inscriptions. Still, it does seem to point to first century activity at your fort, at least back to the Flavian era. Doubtful for example, that a denarius of Nero (or Otho for that matter) would have remained in active circulation say, into the fourth century, but into Flavian times, most certainly. You have a fascinating and informative site to excavate, and I commend you and your colleagues for your work in uncovering the past.

[Roma_Orbis]

Well William, I think I will disagree with you, in the sense that I rather see Hadrian in this portrait:
Den Hadrien.jpg

As a comparison, the portrait's features of Nero are somewhat different: neck bottom, nose, chin:
Den Hadrien Néron.jpg

Then, that would be more consistent with the occupation of the fort.

Jérôme

[djmacdo]

The length of the neck and the form of the neck termination seems more like Hadrian than Nero to me also, but with this coin so poorly preserved, I doubt certainty could ever be achieved. As corroded as it is, I think that even metal analysis would be inconclusive.

Mac

[Roxburgh]

My first impression was that it is Trajan. The long upper lip and no beard.

Alan S.

[djmacdo]

This darn coin is like an ink blot test--too easy to see any number of things in it. The neck and head looks very fleshy to me, not much like Trajan. I had written Hadrian before, but the more I look at the hair arrangement and the double chin, I am now back to Nero. In any event, I am sure than my observation is no more likely than anyone else's.

Mac

[Roma_Orbis]

Some features, like chin and bottom neck exclude Nero. I can't see Trajan either. And when I look at the eye, nose and hair on forehead, I can't imagine anyone else than Hadrian.

Jérôme

[djmacdo]

Wavering again! You have convinced me that it is most likely Hadrian. Is there a phot obefore cleaning or, say, half-way through the process? While certainly badly corroded, the cleaning seems to have been radical.

Mac

[pantheon]

I agree with you Jérôme; Hadrian seems a likely candidate (and makes good sense for chronological reasons), but your comparison examples are also convincing. Hopefully, as more material surfaces from this dig, we will have a chance to see it on this website.

[Vepcorf]

I'll have to see if the department has a before shot of the coin normally its lab practice to at least get a before and after photo but roman coins in poorer states are given to undergraduate students to start their conservation practice so sometimes results vary. As i say there is an Otho so one early coin and the dig has not reached the earliest levels yet. Thanks for all the comments so far i will try to get some data on the coin finds so far it might be interesting to some.