Nero’s Aegis

Sometimes I see things that aren’t there, but even that can be interesting.

So I spotted this face on Nero’s shoulder here:

And What I “saw”  was a face with an Pharonic style snake-y crown.  This sort of thing.

And I thought wow that’s interesting, so of course I went to see other specimens.  BUT first here’s the whole coin in trade:

These other dies make it really clear that an aegis not something Egyptianizing is intended but I still like that little face on the shoulder in profile, a very nice representation of the aegis.

Ostia coins on OCRE

Weiss, Naomi A. “THE VISUAL LANGUAGE OF NERO’S HARBOR SESTERTII.” Memoirs of the American Academy in Rome 58 (2013): 65-81.  OPEN ACCESS!