This wax seal stamp features the Aquila, the eagle of Ancient Rome, together with the famous inscription SPQR (Senatus Populusque Romanus – "The Senate and People of Rome"). As one of the most recognisable symbols of Roman authority, the eagle was carried on legionary standards throughout the Republic and Empire.
Introduced as the principal standard of the Roman legions, the Aquila represented military honour, discipline, and the power of Rome. Each eagle was entrusted to an Aquilifer, whose duty was to protect it at all costs. The capture of a legionary eagle was considered a major humiliation, while recovered standards were celebrated across the Roman world.
The letters SPQR appeared on public monuments, military standards, inscriptions, and coinage, reflecting the authority of the Roman state and its institutions. Together, the eagle and SPQR became enduring symbols of Rome's military achievements and political influence.
The imagery of the Roman eagle continued to inspire later empires, kingdoms, and heraldic traditions long after the fall of the Western Roman Empire, making it one of the most enduring emblems of classical antiquity.
The brass seal has a diameter of 50 mm.
