Ca. 200-300 AD. A finely rendered gold disc-shaped pendant, hammered from thin gold with a suspension loop. This piece is fully wearable and it comes with a modern necklace cord. The sun stands for Sol Invictus (Latin for "Unconquered Sun"), a major divinity in Late Roman religion. Sol Invictus was a patron of soldiers and became part of the official state religion in AD 274 under Emperor Aurelian. The cult continued into the 5th century as St Augustine felt it necessary to preach against Sol to his Christian congregation. The connection between Sol and soldiers means that this item may well have belonged to a Roman legionary, who wore it in hope of protection during military campaigns.Size: L:18.6mm / W:16.1mm ; 2.94gProvenance: Private UK collection; From an old British collection formed in the 1990s.