Grain

Besides the two portraits, there is one other thing that catches the eye of Alex on the obverse. “What is that weird mark next to Nero’s head? It doesn’t look like anything?” Alex asked Sophia. “To be honest with you Alex, I have no idea what it really is.” Sophia replied. “But it is definitely not here by mistake. Some colleagues of mine believe that it resembles a single grain flower. I do not know if that is what it really is, but it is a possibility. Grain was frequently depicted on Roman coinage, although typically this would be grain-ears. On coinage they were often depicted to advertise the distribution of grain that a Republican senator or emperor was responsible for. But they could also have a religious meaning, celebrating a good harvest or prosperity in gratitude to the gods. This just goes to show that there are still many mysteries to solve in antiquity.”