The obverse of this as from the time of the Roman Republic depicts the bearded Janus, the two-faced god of beginnings, gateways and passages, of time and of endings. He wears a laurel wreath, the symbol of honor and victory. Atop his head is the number I as specification of value: The as was the basic unit of the Roman coin system, on which all other denominations were based.
The reverse shows a prora, the prow of a large Roman galley. It stood for the entire ship and symbolized Roman naval power. Atop the image is the specification of value again and an anchor for a mint control-mark.