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Dupondius - Nero PACE P R TERRA MARIQ PARTA IANVM CLVSIT S C
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 62-68 |
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| Currency | Denarius, Reform of Augustus (27 BC – AD 215) |
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| Reverse description | The reverse depicts a frontal architectural rendering of the Janus Geminus, the twin-gated shrine of Janus in the Roman Forum, shown as a rectangular enclosure with a barrel-vaulted roof and latticed or grilled windows on the left side and a set of double doors on the right, both firmly closed to symbolise the peace proclaimed by Nero. The senatorial mark S C (Senatus Consultum) is prominently placed in the field to either side of the structure, flanking the monument. The surrounding legend encircles the entire design and proclaims the closing of the temple gates as a proclamation of universal peace on land and sea. The architectural detail is rendered with considerable precision, capturing the colonnaded entablature and the stepped base of the shrine. This type is one of the most celebrated reverse designs of Neronian coinage, commemorating the ceremonial closing of the temple of Janus in recognition of peace throughout the Roman world. |
| Reverse script | Latin |
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The legend on this coin references the closing of the Temple of Janus, a ritual act performed only when Rome was at total peace — a condition so rare that it had occurred just twice in the preceding seven centuries. Nero's closure, likely in 66 AD following the settlement with Parthia over Armenia, was a calculated piece of political theater. The Parthian wars had dragged on for years under the general Gnaeus Domitius Corbulo, whose diplomatic and military maneuvering finally produced a compromise that both empires could accept without conceding defeat.
Corbulo was ordered to commit suicide by Nero in 67 AD, just months after the peace he engineered was being commemorated in bronze across the empire.