Copper As of Nerva RIC 77

Copper As (26mm 10.41g) Struck AD 97 Rome

Obv: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS III PP Laureate head right

Rev: AEQVITAS AVGVST S C Aequitas standing left, holding cornucopia and scales

RIC II 77
ex. Harry Stewart Collection

The Front (Obverse): Who is in Charge?

The front shows a portrait of Nerva wearing a laurel wreath. The text around him reads: IMP NERVA CAES AVG P M TR P COS III P P

• IMP NERVA CAES AVG: Imperator Nerva Caesar Augustus (His official imperial titles).
• P M: Pontifex Maximus (Chief Priest of Roman religion).
• TR P: Tribunicia Potestas (Holder of the power of the Tribunes, showing he protects the common people).
• COS III: Consul Tertium (Serving his third term as Consul). This is our time stamp! Nerva took his third consulship in January of AD 97, which proves this coin was struck during that incredibly tense year.
• P P: Pater Patriae (Father of the Country).

The Back (Reverse): Keeping the Peace

The back features a goddess standing next to the letters S C (Senatus Consulto, meaning the coin was officially authorized by the Roman Senate). The main text reads: AEQVITAS AVGVST

This translates to "The Equity (or Fairness) of the Emperor."

The figure standing in the center is Aequitas, the Roman personification of fairness, justice, and economic stability. She is holding two specific tools:

1. A pair of scales: This symbolized fair dealings, honest weights in the marketplaces, and just laws.
2. A cornucopia (horn of plenty): This symbolized abundance, wealth, and a steady food supply for the citizens of Rome.

Why this design mattered in AD 97

By plastering Aequitas on the back of everyday copper pocket change, Nerva was trying to reassure the average Roman citizen. The message was simple: "Even though things look rocky with the military right now, the economy is fair, the grain supply is safe, and your emperor is dealing with you justly." It was a public relations campaign designed to restore confidence in a government that was teetering on the edge of collapse.