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Aureus - Nero VESTA, Vesta
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 65-66 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | 1 Aureus = 25 Denarii |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and bearded bust of Nero facing right, rendered in high relief with finely engraved hair curls and a ribbon tie at the nape of the neck. The emperor's portrait conveys the mature, idealised style characteristic of his later coinage. The circular legend surrounds the effigy, reading NERO CAESAR AVGVSTVS, disposed around the entire field. The portrait exhibits the broad, fleshy facial features associated with Neronian portraiture of the mid-60s AD. |
|---|---|
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| Mintage | ND (65-66) |
| Additional information |
These aurei were struck in the immediate aftermath of the Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD, which destroyed or damaged several of Rome's oldest sacred sites, including the Temple of Vesta in the Forum. Nero's subsequent building program — and his very public association with restoration of the city's religious monuments — made Vesta an ideologically loaded choice for gold coinage. Whether the emphasis was genuine piety or damage control is a question ancient sources answer differently.