Commodus Augustus, 177–192 Divo Commodo Denarius after 192, AR 18.5mm, 2.74 g. M COMM ANTON AVG PIVS BRIT Laureate head r. Rev. CONSECRATIO Eagle standing facing on globe, head r. RIC S. Severus 72a var. (PIVS FEL). BMC p. 756 and pl. 100, 12. C 61 var. (PIVS FEL).

Excessively rare, only very few specimens known. Fine.

Privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk. Ex NAC 42, November 2007, 360 from the Barry Feirstein Collection.

The prefect Laetus formed a conspiracy with Eclectus to supplant Commodus with Pertinax. On 31 December 192, Commodus mistress Marcia, poisoned his food but he vomited up the poison; so the conspirators sent his wrestling partner Narcissus to strangle him in his bath. Upon his death, the Senate declared him a public enemy (damnatio memoriae). His body was buried in the Mausoleum of Hadrian. In 195 the emperor Septimius Severus, trying to gain favour with the family of Marcus Aurelius, rehabilitated Commodus's memory and had the Senate deify him.