Maesa Declares Age of Good Times

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by TJC, Jan 1, 2018.

  1. TJC

    TJC Well-Known Member

    I have a couple of 2017 purchases to post and this is one of them. This was a last minute December snag. I do not have many Julia coins and tis is my first Julia Maesa.
    It has a couple of green deposits and that I at first thought it could be signs this coin was a fouree but now the coin is in hand I believe that the green deposits are just that deposits not underlying corroded base metal. I like the narrative reverse with the star and pitch fork style caduceus. Age of Good Times for sure! Just don't pay attention to adolescent in charge;)

    JuliaMaesa339xO1.jpg JuliaMaesa339xR1.jpg
    O: JULIA MAESA Denarius. Diademed & draped bust right
    Rx: SAECVLI FELICITAS, Felicitas standing left by altar, holding patera and caduceus, star in left field. 19 mm, 2.8 grams

    BTW, post your Julia Maesa's:)
     
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  3. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Nice! However, she looks like a hard woman and not one to be toyed with.
    df0b8574fa82a370f3df4aabaeb92882--corn-cob-pipe-king-charles-spaniels.jpg
     
  4. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    LOL!!

    The coin comes with a star in the right field, too. The meaning of the location of the star is not clear, however, and may indicate different emissions or different officinas within the mint.

    Maesa Saeculi Felicitas Denarius.jpg
    Julia Maesa, AD 218-225
    Roman AR denarius; 3.15 g, 19.5 mm, 7 h
    Rome, AD 220-222
    Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right
    Rev: SAECVLI FELICITAS, Felicitas standing left, with long caduceus, sacrificing out of patera over lighted altar, left; star in right field
    Refs: RIC 271; BMCRE 79; Cohen 45; RCV 7757; CRE 472; Thirion 419

    My favorite Maesa, though, is this sestertius:

    Maesa Pietas Sestertius.jpg
    Julia Maesa, Augusta AD 218-225
    Roman Orichalcum Sestertius; 21.28 gm; 29.2 mm
    Rome mint, AD 218-220
    Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust, right
    Rev: PIETAS AVG SC, Pietas standing left, sacrificing over altar and holding incense box
    Refs: RIC 414; Cohen 31; BMCRE 389; RCV 7763; Thirion 408.

    It came with this nearly 45-year-old dealer tag, recording a purchase made in March, 1973:

    Maesa tag jpeg.jpg
     
  5. Bing

    Bing Illegitimi non carborundum Supporter

    Julia Maesa 1.jpg
    JULIA MAESA
    AR Denarius
    OBVERSE: IVLIA MAESA AVG - Draped bust right
    REVERSE: PVDICITIA - Pudicitia seated left, pulling veil and holding scepter
    Struck at Rome, 218-222 AD
    2.6g, 19mm
    RIC 268, BMC 76 (Elagabalus), S 7756, C 36
     
  6. benhur767

    benhur767 Sapere aude

    I love that caduceus, it does look a trident rather than the typical loop with the snakes' heads making "horns". Here's mine, same type as yours, same location for star, but Maesa is shown with a distinct double chin.
    MK_2003_0313_02.jpg
    Julia Maesa. AR denarius, Rome mint, struck 220–1 CE; 2.88g. BMCRE 81, RIC 272, RSC 45b. Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVG; draped bust right. Rx: SAECVLI FELICITAS; Felicitas standing left sacrificing from patera over lighted altar, holding caduceus, star in left field. EF
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2018
  7. Mikey Zee

    Mikey Zee Delenda Est Carthago

    Wonderful posts guys!! They are all terrific!!!

    Here's my stern looking example....

    Julia Maesa obverse.jpg Julia Maesa reverse.jpg
     
  8. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    I only have Julia Domna, not Julia Maesa. What strikes me about the Maesa coins is that these portraits are not idealized; Maesa seems to have a face for radio--wrinkles, a double chin, etc. Maybe it's sexist of me to expect a kinder treatment of the female portrait, but I might expect it to be in the mint controller's self-interest to encourage stylized portraits that "photoshop" her flaws. But there they are. Interesting. Maybe Romans were supposed to venerate the "wise Roman matron" in Maesa, especially if she hailed from the somewhat distrusted East.

    BTW, if you have Amazon Prime, this documentary streams free. I give it 3 stars out of 5. But episode 3 spends some time on the Severan women:

    Mothers, Murderers and Mistresses: Empresses of Ancient Rome 2013.

    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B071CVGSLD
     
  9. Marsyas Mike

    Marsyas Mike Well-Known Member

    Nice Maesas everyone. I have one like Bing's and Mikey Zee's. As Gavin notes, her coins do tend to feature a very lifelike, unflattering likeness. Too bad about Elagabalus...don't spoil the grandkids, I guess.

    Julia Maesa den Jan 18 (2).JPG

    Julia Maesa den Jan 18 (9).JPG
     
  10. Smojo

    Smojo dreamliner

    My FELICITAS is a no star version (in left field :))
    RIC 271
    JVLIAMAESA-Felicitas[RIC271]79-10-R.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2018
  11. lrbguy

    lrbguy Well-Known Member

    I see a star in the right field of the reverse. In what sense "no star?"

    Most of the time the coins of Julia Maesa show a rather dour expression, as we can see in this thread. This thread is helping me see that the degree of the doubling of her chin has a lot to do with that impression.

    There are some exceptions in which she has a pleasant appearance, and one such is on this antoninianus which is among my top picks for my specialized new purchases of 2017:
    jmaes01-kd320-sm.jpg
     
    Last edited: Jan 1, 2018
  12. benhur767

    benhur767 Sapere aude

    Wow, cool resource. I wasn't aware of this. Now I can do something with my Prime membership. :)
     
    Ryro, ominus1, TJC and 2 others like this.
  13. Gavin Richardson

    Gavin Richardson Well-Known Member

    Amazon has quite a number of ancient history documentaries, of varying quality. Much more than, say, Netflix, which caters to more contemporary and popular fare.
     
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  14. Alegandron

    Alegandron "ΤΩΙ ΚΡΑΤΙΣΤΩΙ..." ΜΕΓΑΣ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΟΣ, June 323 BCE

    Nice Maesa @TJC .

    RI Julia Maesa AR Denarius Pudicitia 3.1g 19mm Sear 2183.jpg
    RI Julia Maesa AR Denarius Pudicitia 3.1g 19mm Sear 2183
     
  15. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Yours has a star in the right field.
     
  16. TJC

    TJC Well-Known Member

    Great Maesas Everyone!!!
    Indeed!
     
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  17. Smojo

    Smojo dreamliner

    It does, I meant left field like the OP. But I corrected it
     
  18. Ryro

    Ryro Trying to remove supporter status

    Funny enough one of my last purchases of the year was this "looker" of a lady. Now mine might not be as "glamorous" as some of yours. And it appears she was having too much of a "good time", as is evidenced by the large "cold sore" on her lip. But if Liz Taylor can play Cleopatra then Scarlett Jo is who I'd have idealize up this ancient mama named Maesa. s-l400.jpg s-l400 (1).jpg
     
  19. Severus Alexander

    Severus Alexander find me at NumisForums

    I love the variety of portraits we see here. Yet another Pudicitia:

    Screen Shot 2018-01-02 at 10.57.16 AM.jpg
     
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