Roman Empire, Commodus, Æ Sestertius

Commodus: Emperor of Rome from 177-192 AD. He was extremely proud of his physical prowess, imagined he was the God Hercules and entered the arena to fight as a gladiator. In 182 AD his sister Lucilla was part of a conspiracy to assasinate him, after which she was exciled. He was finally assassinated in 192 AD. His reign with co-Emperor Marcus Aurelius is considered the end of a golden period of peace in the Roman Empire (Pax Romana).

The sestertius was the large brass denomination of the Roman imperial coinage, usually weighing around 25–28 grams and measuring 30–35 mm in diameter. Its broad flan gave engravers ample space for some of the finest imperial portraits and most elaborate reverse designs in Roman numismatics.