Fantastic detail, probably a little to much.....hmmm I wonder what the divorce rates were like in them days.
Perhaps being a little masculine looking was not all that bad if you were running the empire in place of your dead husband. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ulpia_Severina Those in the US might be interested in the story of our version of Severina, Edith Wilson. I doubt the exact nature of either woman's position in their respective countries will be known with certainty. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edith_Wilson
I think they tried (may be too hard in this case) to make her resemble her husband Aurelian in order to help her rule in the "interregno" between Aurelian´s death and the election of Tacitus. Sweet coin, I wouldn´t mind having this manly Severina
My first thought when I seen the coin and the tiny mustache, Elagabalus really wasn't killed, he just came back later.
I've mentioned a few times mine has a moustache! Æ(S) Antoninianus O: SEVERINA AVG, Diademed and draped bust right on a crescent. R: PROVIDEN DEOR, Fides standing right holding two standards, facing Sol standing left holding globe in left and raising right, UXXT in ex. Ticinum mint 22mm 3.5g RIC 9 This coin may have been issued in connection with the introduction of the Sun Cult by Aurelian as the primary religion of the empire and Severina's appointment as its priestess.
maybe the girl was into dairy? that coin is fantastic, she's high on my list. to bad more isn't known about her!
Ahahaha ... yah, I guess the poor gal does have a sly stash, eh? Regardless, I love that coin and I'd do 'er!!
Fantastic coin @Ken Dorney ! I noticed : the smaller the coin, the bigger the mustache ! Aurelian and Severina, Double sestertius Rome mint AD 274-275 IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, radiate and cuirassed bust of Aurelian right SEVERINA AVG, diademed and draped bust of Severina right, on crescent 11.18 gr Ref : Cohen # 1, RIC # 2, RCV # 11696 Severina, Antoninianus minted in Ticinium, 1st officina, AD 275 SEVERINA AVG, Diademed bust of Severina right CONCORDIA MILITVM, Concordia standing with two standards, PXXT at ex. 3.19 gr Ref : RCV #11705 var, Cohen # 7 Severina, AE Denarius Rome mint, 5 th officina, AD 274-275. SEVERINA AVG, draped and diademed bust right. VENVS FELIX, Venus standing left, holding seated figure and sceptre. Є at exergue. 2.46 gr, 19-20 mm RIC V 1 # 6, RCV # 11710, C # 14 Q
Here are some mustachioed examples from the Rome mint in various denominations: Silvered billon Aurelianus, issue 10. MER/RIC 1796 Silvered billon Aurelianus, issue 11. MER/RIC temp no. 1824 Billon denarius, issue 11. MER/RIC 1841 AE As, issue 11. MER/RIC temp no. 1879
I know there are those who insist that we make up a new name to replace the name we made up to call the coin first issued by Caracalla whose 'real' name was Antoninus. Aurelian did have a coinage reform which brought up the standardized silver content of 20 parts base to one part silver and some insist we name that coin after him. However since his name was Aurelianus (English drops the -us) the name of that coin needs to be aurelianianus which, IMHO, should talk any reasonable people out of the whole idea.
Amen to that Doug! I for one have decided to push back against the current trend of renaming everything related to ancient coins just to confuse old guys like me (and I'm not even that old). When I started collecting if it was made before the reform of Diocletian it was an Antoninianus, after the reform of Constantine all bronze coins were AE 1, 2, 3, 3/4 or 4, and we liked it! I'll tell you sometime about how I used to have to wait for printed auction catalogs to come in the mail and make phone calls to dealers to buy coins too, but my in home care nurse says I'm getting too excited so I better go watch Wheel of Fortune and take a few liver pills.