In 64 A.D., the emperor Nero became the first emperor to debase precious metal coinage. The weight of silver and gold coins was reduced, an inflationary measure that allowed Nero to mint more coins without access to greater supplies of metals. This aureus (gold coin) was minted after these reforms, so it must have been minted between 64 and 68, when Nero died. The obverse of the coin is simple, celebrating Nero as Caesar. The reverse legend of this aureus, AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS (Augustus Germanicus), together with the image of Nero himself holding an image of Victory standing on a globe, probably refers to a victory of Nero’s general Corbulo in Armenia in 63, an event that was, despite the reality, celebrated as a total victory. After a series of engagements with Armenia, Corbulo invaded Armenia in 63. The result was not a decisive defeat, but an agreement between the two parties. Four years later, in 67, Nero, for unknown reasons, forced Corbulo to commit suicide. Deborah Sneed 2011