 | A gold aureus of Roman Emperor Nerva reflects the delicate balance of power between the military and the ruling class in ancient Rome at the time. The circa A.D. 97 gold coin features a portrait of Nerva on the obverse, with clasped hands holding a legionary eagle set upon a prow on the reverse. The example is being offered by Numismatica Ars Classica at an October 24 auction. The coin is graded Good Very Fine/About Extremely Fine. It has an estimate of $12,882 U.S. |
 | Nerva’s reign was greatly assisted by his predecessor’s decision to increase wages for soldiers from 225 denarii to 300 denarii, annually. In addition, the coins used to pay the wages were of increased weight and purity compared to previous coins, so the payout was even better. Nerva died of natural causes four months after issuing the coin and was succeeded by Trajan. |
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