Nero. AD 54-68. Æ Sestertius (35mm, 25.44 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 65. Good VF.

CNG Feature Auction 133
Lot: 547. Estimated: $ 750

Roman Imperial, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 2 750. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Nero. AD 54-68. Æ Sestertius (35mm, 25.44 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck circa AD 65. Laureate bust right, wearing aegis / Temple of Janus with latticed windows to left and garland hung across closed double doors to right. RIC I 266; WCN 139; Elkins, Monuments Figure 77. Dark brown patina, smoothing, minor porosity, hairline flan crack. Good VF.

Ex Wild Rose Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 126, 28 May 2024), lot 681; Lanz 158 (5 June 2014), lot 495; Heritage 3021 (6 January 2013), lot 21365; Heritage 3020 (6 September 2012), lot 25194; Roma II (2 October 2011), lot 597.

The Temple of Janus was one of Rome’s most ancient centers of worship. It was said that Romulus had built it after he made peace with the Sabines, and that it was king Numa who decreed that its doors should be opened during times of war and shut during times of peace. In all of Roman history until the reign of Nero, the temple doors had been shut perhaps five or six times – once under king Numa (who originated the tradition), once at the end of the Second Punic War, three times under Augustus, and, according to Ovid, once under Tiberius.

In AD 65, when peace had been generally established in the Empire, Nero understandably requested the closing of the temple’s doors. He marked the event with great celebrations and trumpeted his policy of peace by issuing a large and impressive series of coins. The inscription on this issue announces “the doors of Janus have been closed after peace has been procured for the Roman People on the land and on the sea." The doors of the temple probably remained closed for less than a year, being opened again with the onset of strife in Judaea in AD 66.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 133 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 15-16 September 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 133 – Session Two – Lot 309-594 will be held Tuesday morning, 15 September 2026 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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