H. V. Canter (July 1928). Personal Appearance in the Biography of the Roman Emperors. Studies in Philology, Vol. 25, No. 3, pp. 385-399. The author used whatever contemporary and near-contemporary historical descriptions were available but did not use coins, statues, busts, or other physical art when compiling his written descriptions. Many of the resulting descriptions are copied almost verbatim from the works of contemporary historians such as Suetonius. In this article the description of Nero is from Suetonius, whose writings are not strictly accurate... I had a fun quiz were you had to guess the emperor based on the written description. I just checked and all of my quiz links are dead . I guess QuizRevolution.com went under and I didn't save those quizzes. Drat.
Here's a different lifelike reconstruction of Nero from https://blog.theaterakademie.de/post/news/hautnah.html Additional ancient Roman emperors and empresses: https://www.muenzenwoche.de/de/News/Antike-Charakterkoepfe-neu-in-Szene-gesetzt/4?&id=5058
Here is a 24 mm tetradrachm of Antioch, struck year 114 which is 65/66. RPC I 4191 [18 coins, 6 obverse dies]. Prier 91 [30 coins]. McAlee 266 NEPΩN KAICAP ETOYC ΔIP (year 114 of the Caesarean era used at Antioch). A nice large portrait of Nero in silver.
Nero was young in 55 AD. Nero at Laodicea, Asia. 19 mm. 6.14 grams. Struck c. 55 AD and signed by Gaius Postomos. Nero was born in 39, so he was about 16 years old when this coin was struck. NEPΩN KAIΣAP (counterclockwise) ΓAIOY ΠOΣTOMOY ΛΛOΔIKEΩK (downward in three lines) Fully clothed bearded man standing left with arm out holding a tiny eagle (Zeus Laodiceus) Wreath enclosing B to left. RPC I 2917. If this was a good portrait of Nero at the time, his appearance changed a lot as he grew older.
Nero's reign has high points in numismatic art, as shown on the reverse of this sestertius... Nero struck in Rome, CE 63 Orichalcum sestertius, 34 mm, 26.7 gm Obv: NERO CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP; laureate head right, wearing aegis Rev: ANNONA AVGVSTI CERES; Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left, holding corn ears and torch, her feet on stool, facing Annona standing right, holding cornucopia; between them, modius on garlanded altar; in background, stern of ship Ref: RIC 98. Cohen 24 ...and low points, as evidenced by the Ramen Noodle School of Die Engraving in Egypt: EGYPT, Alexandria. Nero year 13, CE 66/7 tetradrachm Obv: NEPΩKΛAYKAIΣΣEBΓEP; radiate head right Rev: Laureate bust of Apollo right; AYTOKPA; LIΓ Ref: Emmett 110.13; Milne 248
Here's my Nero Alexandria example. With Serapis on the reverse, kind of a silvery color, which is nice.
I have read the Nero really wanted to be an entertainer more than anything else. His life is certainly something the livened up the study of Roman history. I mean a guy who murdered his mother can't be boring. Repulsive, yes, but not boring.
...and his step-brother Britannicus, and his step-sister/wife Claudia Octavia, and his wife Poppaea Sabina with their unborn child.