Contorniates, late 4th-early 5h century. Contorniate (Orichalcum, 32 mm, 22.07 g, 12 h), in the name of Nero, 54-68. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head of Nero to left. Rev. ROMA / S -C Roma seated left on shield and cuirass, holding Victory in her right hand and parazonium in her left. Alföldi -, cf. 129 and pl. 428, 11 (Roma holding spear instead of parazonium). Sachero -. Tocchi -. An apparently unpublished variety. Graffito of XIX on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


This beautiful contorniate is very likely based on an original sestertius of Nero, which the late Roman artist meticulously copied, thus explaining the exceptional style and the appearance of Roma's parazonium instead of the much more common type with a spear.