A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman

Roman Imperial Coinage, Nero, Sestertius, Rome, January 65, laureate bust right, nero clavd caesar avg ger p m tr p imp p p, rev. pace p r terra mariq parta ianvm clvsit, façade of temple of Janus, latticed windows to right, closed doors, hung with garland, to left, s c in field, 27.26g (RIC 268; BMC 164; C 134; Sear 1960). Obverse very fine, reverse better, perhaps some smoothing in fields £600-800

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Provenance: Seaby List M228, July 1934 (17371).

The doors of the Temple of Janus, also known as the ‘Gates of War’, always stood open so that the god could come quickly to the aid of the city in times of trouble. Only closed when all the boundaries of the Empire were peaceful, this had happened less than half-a-dozen times since the days of the legendary King Numa. Nero, believing that such a occasion had arisen in 65, marked the event with great celebrations and commemorated it by the issue of a series of coins (also see Lots 23, 26, 27)