Emperor Nero | Silver Tetradrachm

Obverse: Portrait of Nero
Reverse: Eagle holding thunderbolt, palm branch left

Weight: 14.24 g
Width: 25 mm / .98 in 

Nero, born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in 37 AD, was the last emperor of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. He became emperor at the age of 16 following the death of his adoptive father, Emperor Claudius, in 54 AD. His full imperial name was Nero Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus.

Early in his reign, Nero was advised by capable figures such as Seneca and Burrus, and the empire initially experienced a period of stable governance. However, as Nero grew more autocratic and detached from administrative duties, his rule became increasingly marked by extravagance, political purges, and persecution.

He is perhaps most (in)famously remembered for the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, after which he controversially blamed and persecuted Christians—marking one of the first imperial actions against the new religion. Despite popular legend, there is no firm historical evidence that Nero fiddled while Rome burned.

Nero was a passionate patron of the arts and styled himself as a poet, musician, and actor—scandalous pursuits for a Roman emperor. He undertook grand building projects, including the lavish Domus Aurea (Golden House), but at great financial cost to the empire.

In 68 AD, facing revolts and the loss of support from the Senate and the army, Nero fled Rome and ultimately committed suicide, reportedly uttering the famous words: "What an artist dies in me!"

Ancient Artifacts guarantees the Authenticity of items sold through a three layer system of protection: 

1. Ancient Artifacts exclusively sources artifacts from trusted and reputable antique distributors, many of whom have been selling Artifacts for decades.  
2. Next, the Artifact is inspected by an expert team member, who is professionally trained in counterfeit detection After the artifact passes inspection, the Certificate of Authenticity is signed and the Artifact is packaged. 
3. Finally, Ancient Artifacts gives an additional layer of protection by promising a full refund with no questions asked, in the extremely unlikely event that a counterfeit slips through our vetting process.

You will receive the exact coin shown in the photos.

Nero’s coins were struck between AD 54 and 68 at Rome and across the empire’s vast network of provincial mints, ensuring their wide circulation. The scale of this minting system produced a large volume of currency that reinforced both the economy and Nero’s imperial image.

Many of these coins survive today because they were made of durable metals like gold, silver, and bronze. Their preservation is further owed to hoards—collections buried in antiquity and later rediscovered—which safeguard large numbers of Nero’s issues for modern study and collecting.