The Seven Hills Hoard gave up this silver denarius of Commodus, the emperor who entered the arena as a gladiator and tried to rename Rome after himself. His reign ran from AD 177 to 192, and his murder on the last night of the year ended the Antonine dynasty and threw the empire into civil war. A documented hoard pedigree sets this denarius apart from the many anonymous survivors of the period, since most silver of these years reached the market with no recorded find history at all.

The obverse carries the laureate head of Commodus facing right, with the imperial titles running around the border and the emperor's heavy beard and curled hair rendered in strong relief. Roman engravers of the late second century favored this fuller, more sculptural portrait style, and the detail here holds well across the cheek and jaw. On the reverse a robed deity sits left on a high-backed chair, resting one arm on the seat while the dating legend with the emperor's tribunician and consular titles arcs around the edge. Those titles fix the issue within a single year of Commodus's reign, which is part of why collectors build these denarii by date.

NGC graded this denarius Choice Very Fine, a grade that keeps the portrait bold while light, even wear softens only the highest points. The surfaces show a natural gray patina with underlying brightness, and the strike stayed well centered on both sides so the legends remain readable. Well-struck hoard denarii of Commodus at this level of preservation give collectors a portrait coin of real presence at a sensible price. A welcome addition to any collection of Roman imperial silver or Twelve Caesars-era portrait coinage.

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177-192 AD Roman Empire Commodus Silver Denarius Seven Hills Hoard NGC Choice Very Fine