Nero Claudius Drusus, Aureus, 41-45
Lugdunum - Gold - NGC - XF 5/5-2/5 - RIC:69
Sold
Head of Nero Claudius Drusus, laureate, left.
Triumphal arch surmounted by equestrian statue, right, between two trophies, each with captive at foot; the rider holds spear in right hand
Very fine specimen of aureus in the effigy of Nero Claudius Drusus, Claudius' father. This exceptional issue was posthumously struck in honor of Claudius' father, celebrating his legacy in the process. The reverse is particularly impressive, with a superb triumphal arch surmounted by an equestrian statue. Formerly worn as jewellery, a mark can be seen on the reverse at 12 o'clock, as well as two marks around 1 o'clock, one almost hidden by the slab branches. Between 4 and 5 o'clock, on the lower right arm, the metal has been pushed back by the jewellery mounting and has left a mark that is also partially hidden. Graded by NGC XF Strike: 5/5, Surface 2/5, Smoothing. Brushed. Ex-jewelry. We would like to advise you that the coin has not been sealed according to the rules of observe and reverse, these have been reversed and the reverse of the coin is shown first on the case.
NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP
DE / GERM
7.58 gr
Gold
Although nowadays gold enjoys a reputation as the king of precious metals, that was not always the case. For example, in Ancient Greece, Corinthian bronze was widely considered to be superior. However, over the course of time, it has established itself as the prince of money, even though it frequently vies with silver for the top spot as the standard.
Nevertheless, there are other metals which appear to be even more precious than this duo, take for example rhodium and platinum. That is certain. Yet, if the ore is not as available, how can money be produced in sufficient quantities? It is therefore a matter of striking a subtle balance between rarity and availability.
But it gets better: gold is not only virtually unreactive, whatever the storage conditions (and trouser pockets are hardly the most precious of storage cases), but also malleable (coins and engravers appreciate that).
It thus represents the ideal mix for striking coins without delay – and we were not going to let it slip away!
The chemical symbol for gold is Au, which derives from its Latin name aurum. Its origins are probably extraterrestrial, effectively stardust released following a violent collision between two neutron stars. Not merely precious, but equally poetic…
The first gold coins were minted by the kings of Lydia, probably between the 8th and 6th century BC. Whereas nowadays the only gold coins minted are investment coins (bullion coins) or part of limited-edition series aimed at collectors, that was not always the case. And gold circulated extensively from hand to hand and from era to era, from the ancient gold deposits of the River Pactolus to the early years of the 20th century.
As a precious metal, in the same way as silver, gold is used for minting coins with intrinsic value, which is to say the value of which is constituted by the metal from which they are made. Even so, nowadays, the value to the collector frequently far exceeds that of the metal itself...
It should be noted that gold, which is naturally very malleable, is frequently supplemented with small amounts of other metals to render it harder.
The millesimal fineness (or alloy) of a coin indicates the exact proportion (in parts per thousand) of gold included in the composition. We thus speak, for example, of 999‰ gold or 999 parts of gold per 1 part of other metals. This measure is important for investment coins such as bullion. In France, it was expressed in carats until 1995.
