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XXI
Nero's early portraiture on coins shows a young man through the maturation process. These younger portraits are skillfully done, and have realism belonging to the young emperor's (princeps) age. He is much thinner and does not have the heaviness of the jowls and bloated face as we have come to love in his later portraits. This is Roman realism in portraiture. We never see Augustus or Tiberius age on Roman Imperial coin portraits, there are some portraits of Octavian that seem younger looking, but are not the same quality as Neronian portraits from the imperial Mint. Tiberius has never aged on his coins from imperial Rome, especially the big flan coins with nice room for portraits, yet even on Nero's portrait on denarii and aurei, as well as this quinarius convey a high achievement in artistic quality in his portraiture. Caligula was young and always had a sense of youthful realism, and Claudian coins have a more realistic sense to them on imperial coinage like Nero. The difference in wanting to convey realism on Nero's portraits is the high quality and die cutters ability for detail with the Hellenistic technical skills added.
Here is a provincial piece struck 55 A.D. of Nero with similar hairstyle. PHRYGIA, Sebaste. Nero. AD 54-68. Æ 18mm (5.65 g, 12h). Ioulios Dionysios, magistrate. Struck circa AD 55. Draped bust right / Zeus seated left, holding scepter and eagle. RPC 3155 (same obv. die); SNG München 451-2 (same obv. die). cngcoins.com
PORTRAIT IN THE ROUND THAT AGREES WITH THE QUINARIUS
I took some time with this and came up with a portrait that is not seen too often, but matches well with the maturation process on this coin, The young portrait of Nero here is from Russia and resides in the Hermitage Museum. My Friend Hans took the photos and I think they best represent Nero at this time in his life.
Nero Caesar as a Youth. Hermitage Museum.
Reference: On Neronian Reform of Quinarius and Silver.