Letters on the coin featuring Nero suggests it was minted in A.D. 56. Photo by Shimon Gibson/UNCC

JERUSALEM, Sept. 14 (UPI) -- An archaeological dig on Mount Zion has yielded a rare coin featuring the bust of Roman emperor Nero. The coin was unearthed by a team of archaeologists from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.

"The coin is exceptional, because this is the first time that a coin of this kind has turned up in Jerusalem in a scientific dig," archaeologist Shimon Gibson said in a news release. "Coins of this type are usually only found in private collections, where we don't have clear evidence as to place of origin."


Nero's head is surrounded on the coin by the letters "NERO CAESAR AVG IMP." On the opposite side, the letters "PONTIF MAX TR P III" encircle an oak wreath featuring the letters "EX S C."

According to historian David Jacobson, a numismatist from London, the coin was minted in either A.D. 56 or 57 -- a little more than a decade before the Romans ransacked Jerusalem.

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"The coin probably came from one of the rich 2000-year old Jewish dwellings which the UNC Charlotte team have been uncovering at the site," explained Gibson. "These belonged to the priestly and aristocratic quarter located in the Upper City of Jerusalem."

Excavations of the ancient Jewish villas, thought to be built in the first century, have revealed several large, well-preserved rooms of a mansion. Researchers have also uncovered a mikveh, a Jewish pool used in rituals.

Research suggests the coin was hidden away in anticipation of the takeover of Jerusalem by the Roman Empire, and was missed by looting soldiers.