Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Nero augustus, 54 – 68

Sestertius Lugdunum circa 65, Æ 25.43 g. NERO CLAVD CAESAR AVG GER P M TR P IMP P P Laureate head r., with globe at point of bust. Rev. PACE·P·R·TERRA·MARIQ·PARTA·IANVM·CLVSIT / S – C View of the temple of Janus, door to r., decorated with garland. C 146. BMC 319. WCN 419.
RIC 438. CBN 73.
Struck on a full flan and with an exceptionally well-detailed reverse.
A lovely untouched green patina, good extremely fine


Ex Triton VI, 2003, 823; Tkalec 2006, 134 and NAC 54, 2010, Luc Girard, 345 sales.
Wow! That was my first reaction to this coin when I saw it. Today my first reaction is still WOW! This is a wonderful depiction of the Temple of Janus and overall I would say this is one of the best sestertii in my collection. The portrait of Nero is simply amazing! And then there is that hard green patina that is so rare. It's really a wonderful coin and worthy of the finest collection. MSG.
The Temple dedicated to Janus, the god of beginnings and endings, was one of Rome's most ancient. The sources indicate it was a rather small temple consisting of two archways with doors that were joined by side-walls. Its location is not known perhaps because the foundation was small enough to have been obscured by subsequent construction.
It was believed that Romulus built the temple after he made peace with the Sabines, and that king Numa decreed its doors should be opened during war and shut during times of peace. Its doors had been closed perhaps five or six times in all Roman history prior to the reign of Nero: under the legendary king Numa (to whom the tradition is traced), at the end of the Second Punic War, three times under Augustus, and, according to Ovid, once under Tiberius.
Thus, when in 65 peace generally had been established on the empire's fronts, Nero did not hesitate to close the temple's doors. He marked the event with great celebrations and struck a large and impressive series of coins to document this rare event. The inscription, IANVM CLVSIT PACE P R TERRA MARIQ PARTA, is one of the most instructive on all Roman coins, for it announces "the doors of Janus have been closed after peace has been procured for the Roman People on the land and on the sea".
In relation to this, Suetonius (Nero 15) describes the visit to Rome of Tiridates, Rome's candidate for the throne of Armenia. Nero crowned Tiridates, was hailed Imperator and "...after dedicating a laurel-wreath in the Capitol, he closed the double doors of the Temple of Janus, as a sign that all war was at an end."
Despite Nero's contentment with affairs on the borders, the year 65 was not happy on the home front as much of Rome was still in ashes from the great fire of the previous year, Nero narrowly survived the Pisonian conspiracy, and not long afterward he kicked his pregnant wife Poppaea to death.