Obverse: Laureate head of Commodus, facing right. Text around M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT.

Reverse: Nobilitas dressed in a Stola, personifying the noble birth of Commodus, stands facing right, holding a spear in her right hand and a Palladium, an image of Minerva, in left hand. Text around NOBILIT AVG P M TR P XII IMP VIII COS V P P.

History: This type of coin indicates by the attribute of the spear and the image of Minerva, the two means by which nobility was or ought to be acquired, valour in war and wisdom in council. Commodus, the descendant of Emperors, might rightly claim to the highest distinctions of hereditary rank, though he disgraced his illustrious birth by every vice. In his final year of life he shocked Romans of all classes by personally moonlighting as a gladiator. A successful conspiracy against him was finally hatched by one of his lovers and he was strangled to death on the last day of the year 192.

Date: Struck Rome mint, 186-187 A.D.

Diameter: 1.9cm