The Political and Economic Implications of Nero’s Olympic Series of Alexandrian Coinage

Emperor Nero’s Alexandrian coinage was not only an artistic innovation but a political and technological one as well, and because great quantities were minted (Christiansen 1988), his coinage circulated for more than two centuries after his death in 68 CE. Because of recently discovered data, the Olympic series of coinage (66-68 CE) in particular can provide valuable insight into the political and economic attitudes and policies of Roman Egypt during the mid-1^st c. CE. Through a die study conducted on the Apollo Aktios type of the Olympic series, I will argue that the unprecedented amount of coinage minted in Egypt in 66/67 and 67/68 CE illustrates the significance of the message behind the iconography of the Olympic series, namely the superiority of the Alexandrian Greek population. I will also demonstrate that multiple officinae were opened to facilitate this production, leading to the star symbol on some reverse dies to represent a mint mark. The level of production necessary to strike this coinage thus suggests that imperial agency was mobilized to initiate this infrastructure.

The general consensus reached by scholars such as Eckhel (1794), Vogt (1924), and Christiansen (1988), is that the Olympic series, struck in 66/67 and 67/68 CE, is linked to Nero’s journey to Greece (66/67 CE) and his participation in the Panhellenic festivals. Couvalis (2007) expands on this, adding that Alexandrian officials, such as the prefect Tiberius Julius Alexander, desired to strengthen Egypt’s Hellenic ties by minting this series. Other authors (Kennell 1988. Papaefthymiou 2005) discuss the series, but offer no explanation for why coinage commemorating Nero’s games was minted in Alexandria, a city not directly affected by Nero’s actions in Greece. Based on the first-ever full die study of Nero’s Alexandrian coinage, this paper offers brand new insight into Nero’s management of Roman Egypt and mints during the second half of the 60s CE.

This paper will expand upon and challenge Couvalis’ argument that Tiberius Julius Alexander was responsible for the Olympic series. The amount of infrastructure needed in Alexandria to carry out this production would have needed imperial permission or initiative, making Nero the one truly responsible. This is significant in light of the recent ethnic pogroms in Alexandria, the most recent 66 CE, as well as Nero’s planned trip to Alexandria (Suet. Ner. 19; Cass. Dio 63.27; Tac. Ann. 15.36). While this paper agrees with Couvalis’ theory that this coinage illustrated the superiority of the Alexandrian Greek population over the Jewish population, I will also consider other economic factors the Olympic series can provide insight on, such as the estimated total amount of coinage produced in 66-68 CE and how Alexandria’s mints most likely functioned. This can be seen through obverse die links found in the study, leading to my belief that the star symbol found on some reverse dies represents a mint mark of an officina, instead of a date marker. This paper will advance our understanding of a relatively understudied series and its significant impact on the Roman Egyptian economy.