Happy New Year 2014! The month of January was named after the Roman Janus. He was a distinctly Roman God, having no Greek equivalent, and was revered as the God of transitions and new beginnings. So it is quite appropriate for the first month of the year to bear his name, as the New Year often represents transitions for many of us. The head of Janus is depicted on this bronze As of the Roman Republic, and was minted circa 179-169 BC. the 'I' above his head was the mark of value. 

Janus also presided over the beginning and ending of wars. The doors of his temple in Rome were only closed when Rome was at peace. This was a special enough occasion to have called for it to be marked on Roman coins, like this bronze As of the infamous Emperor Nero. It features The Temple of Janus with its doors closed, and the legends PACE.PR.VBIQ.PARTA.IANVM.CLVSIT.SC. , which translates to 'The peace of the people of Rome being everywhere on land and at sea, the doors of the Ianvm he closed'. The SC means 'Senatus Consulto', meaning that the coin was issued with the consent of the Senate. This appeared on most bronze coins of Rome well into the 3rd Century AD. 

I hope you enjoyed this latest trip into the past through the coinage of ancient civilizations! There will be more to come soon. Once again, I wish all of you a very happy and prosperous 2014!