minted in Rome
This silver coin was minted in Rome by the emperor Nero in 65 or 66 AD. It is a type called a denarius, the most common Roman silver coin. This picture shows the reverse of the coin.
The reverse depicts Salus, the goddess of the public safety of Rome, seated and holding a pan called a patera. She is identified by the legend 'SALVS' below.
In 64 AD, a great fire destroyed much of Rome. Many people believed that Nero had started it, and in 65 AD a group of people led by Gaius Calpurnius Piso conspired to kill Nero. The plot was betrayed by a servant, and Nero killed or exiled a number of people. He also dedicated a temple to Salus.
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