The power of bread
Whether Lucius would have been up to date on all the horrible stories that the ancient authors tell about Nero’s actions, we do not know. What is clear is that Nero, even if he was not interested in ruling at all, remained the face of power, as portrayed for example on coins like this one. To the people of Rome, he was still the person who made sure they were provided with grain. The grain supply was important to the emperor himself as well, because it kept the people fed and happy. This explains why it appears on this coin.
Nero committed suicide at the age of 30, after he had finally lost grip on his empire. The senate of Rome bestowed upon him damnatio memoriae, which basically meant all images of Nero were to be destroyed and he was to be removed from collective memory. Luckily many images, like this coin, are still intact. Otherwise we would have missed out on quite a few spectacular stories.
The Annona is continued by subsequent emperors. So, even after Nero’s death, Lucius still gets his modii of grain. He is very happy. People without access to the Annona would pay two of the coins discussed here for the same amount of grain he is getting for free.