Roman Empire "Nero as Augustus" NGC Ch VF 5x4
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Nero, as Augustus (A.D. 54–68). Gold Aureus (18mm, 7.81 g, 3h). NGC Choice VF, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 4/5. Rome, A.D. 57–58, see COMP attached in gallery pics: Auction same coin & variety, estimate at $32,000 US!
An elegant aureus from the early reign of Rome’s most infamous emperor, struck at the imperial mint in the capital during a period when Nero still projected the promise of youthful leadership. The obverse bears the bare head of Nero, inscribed NERO•CAESAR•AVG•IMP, a portrait remarkable for its classical restraint, presenting the young princeps not as the decadent figure of later years, but as a dignified successor to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The reverse, with the legend PONTIF•MAX•TR•P•IIII•P.P. encircling an oak wreath enclosing the inscription EX•SC, proclaims the emperor’s role as Pontifex Maximus and the Senate’s formal recognition of his rule. The oak wreath (corona civica), traditionally awarded for saving the lives of fellow citizens, emphasizes Nero’s early image as a benefactor and protector of the Roman people.
Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in A.D. 37, Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius and ascended the throne at the age of just 16 in A.D. 54—the youngest emperor Rome had ever seen. In these early years, his rule was guided by the steadying hands of his mother Agrippina, his tutor Seneca, and the Praetorian Prefect Burrus. The coinage of this period, including the present aureus, reflects a carefully cultivated image of legitimacy, continuity, and pietas, intended to reassure both Senate and people of Rome.
Yet beneath the golden promise lay the seeds of a turbulent reign. By the time of this coin’s striking, Nero was already asserting his independence from Agrippina’s suffocating influence, a shift that would culminate in her eventual murder in A.D. 59. His later years would be defined by excess, the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64, the construction of the lavish Domus Aurea, brutal persecutions, and ultimately, the emperor’s dramatic downfall in A.D. 68—the last of the Julio-Claudian line.
The present piece, with its finely engraved portrait and lustrous golden fabric, captures a fleeting moment in which the young Nero still embodied Rome’s hopes rather than its fears. As such, it stands not only as a testament to the artistry of the Roman mint but also as a poignant witness to one of antiquity’s most dramatic imperial narratives.x/RV 9/25
An elegant aureus from the early reign of Rome’s most infamous emperor, struck at the imperial mint in the capital during a period when Nero still projected the promise of youthful leadership. The obverse bears the bare head of Nero, inscribed NERO•CAESAR•AVG•IMP, a portrait remarkable for its classical restraint, presenting the young princeps not as the decadent figure of later years, but as a dignified successor to the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The reverse, with the legend PONTIF•MAX•TR•P•IIII•P.P. encircling an oak wreath enclosing the inscription EX•SC, proclaims the emperor’s role as Pontifex Maximus and the Senate’s formal recognition of his rule. The oak wreath (corona civica), traditionally awarded for saving the lives of fellow citizens, emphasizes Nero’s early image as a benefactor and protector of the Roman people.
Born Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus in A.D. 37, Nero was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius and ascended the throne at the age of just 16 in A.D. 54—the youngest emperor Rome had ever seen. In these early years, his rule was guided by the steadying hands of his mother Agrippina, his tutor Seneca, and the Praetorian Prefect Burrus. The coinage of this period, including the present aureus, reflects a carefully cultivated image of legitimacy, continuity, and pietas, intended to reassure both Senate and people of Rome.
Yet beneath the golden promise lay the seeds of a turbulent reign. By the time of this coin’s striking, Nero was already asserting his independence from Agrippina’s suffocating influence, a shift that would culminate in her eventual murder in A.D. 59. His later years would be defined by excess, the Great Fire of Rome in A.D. 64, the construction of the lavish Domus Aurea, brutal persecutions, and ultimately, the emperor’s dramatic downfall in A.D. 68—the last of the Julio-Claudian line.
The present piece, with its finely engraved portrait and lustrous golden fabric, captures a fleeting moment in which the young Nero still embodied Rome’s hopes rather than its fears. As such, it stands not only as a testament to the artistry of the Roman mint but also as a poignant witness to one of antiquity’s most dramatic imperial narratives.x/RV 9/25
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