An ancient Roman solid silver Legionary eagle (Aquila) statue

A beautiful silver Legionary eagle with incised detail.

An aquila (Latin for eagle) was a prominent symbol used in ancient Rome, especially as the standard of a Roman legion. A legionary known as an aquilifer, or eagle-bearer, carried this standard. Each legion carried one eagle. The eagle was extremely important to the Roman military, beyond merely being a symbol of a legion. A lost standard was considered an extremely grave occurrence, and the Roman military often went to great lengths to both protect a standard and to recover it if lost; for example, see the aftermath of the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest, where the Romans spent decades attempting to recover the lost standards of three legions.

Material: solid silver
Weight: 4.02 gram
Date: Roman, 1st – 2nd century AD
Measurement: overall: 29 x 16 mm
Condition: Extremely fine condition

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