Beschreibung
Erhaltung: vf- | Abkürzungen
Durchmesser: 33,00 mm
weight 23,88gr. | orichalcum Ø 33mm.
obv. Laureate head of Nerva right, surrounded by the legend
IMP NERVA CAES AVG PM TR P COS III PP
rev. Two mules grazing in opposite directions liberated from their
yokes, which appear in the background, S C in exergue, surrounded
by the legend VEHICVLATIONE ITALIAE REMISSA S C
This sestertius belongs to a larger series of aes coinage struck by Nerva to advertise his efforts to improve the lives of the average Roman citizen at a time when his ability to maintain the support of the army was collapsing. In this way he hoped to counterbalance his military problems by gaining popularity in other sectors of Roman society. The reverse type and its surrounding legend refer to Nervas abolition of the vehiculatio. This system, which had been established by Augustus, consisted of a series of mansiones (inns) located at intervals of a days travel along the road and fresh horses and pack animals, all of which were paid for by the people of nearby settlements. At first, the vehiculatio was a reasonable means of conducting imperial business, but the system was soon abused by individuals lacking the proper credentials to use the system and became a burden for those required to support it-the imperial bureaucracy would only provide reimbursement for the use of the vehiculatio by those who could be shown to be on legitimate imperial business. On this sestertius inscribed VEHICVLATIONE ITALIAE REMISSA, Nerva advertises his reform of the system, promising the imperial government would cover the cost of imperial transport. Nerva removed this financial burden by abolishing the vehiculatio system and instead established the new custom of paying for official travel directly from the imperial treasury. Although abuses of the vehiculatio took place already in the Julio-Claudian period and merely continued under the Flavians, by solving the problem, Nerva obliquely cast the vehiculatio as one of many abuses that had proliferated under Domitianus, an emperor who had been feared and hated by the Senate, and gave himself the contrasting appearance of a Good Emperor. Unfortunately, this characterization of the elderly Nerva was not enough to sway the opinion of the army, which had appreciated Domitianus as a commander, and he was forced to adopt Trajanus as his successor in order to avoid the risk of renewed civil war. It is evident from this coin of Nerva, in 97 AD, relieved the people of Italy from this oppression, though biographers have made no mention of the fact, subsequent writers assigning the merit of establishing posts to Hadrian and Antoninus Pius, by whom the plan was only perfected and completed. Interesting and rare coin type.
Cohen 143 | RIC 93 | BMC 119 | Sear 3055
Kent-Hirmer pl. 74, 255 | CBN 10 R
Weakly struck at some parts. Attractive dark patina
vf-
