Can´t wait for Saturnalia and can´t post my Top Ten for this year because my last purchase is still in the mail. But as I feel like posting SOMETHING , here is a Sestertius that I didn´t have the energy to do a writeup for yet, just because I don´t find this empress or her coinage particularly interesting. Nevertheless something made me get an upgrade to my two budget Mamaeas. This is still vastly improvable, but it will do for now to complete my Sestertius collection: IVLIA MAMAEA AVGVSTA - draped bust of Julia Mamaea right, wavy hair with stephane / VENERI FELICI S C - Venus standing right, holding long sceptre in right hand and winged and naked cupid in left Sestertius, Rome AD 224 30 mm / 17,85 g RIC 694 (Sev. Alexander), BMCRE 190, Cohen 62, Sear 8232, Banti 16 (43 Specimens) Ex Savoca 88th Silver Auction, 25.10.2020, lot 269 2nd Century votive marble statue of Venus Felix with her son Cupid (Vatican Museum) Show your Julia Mamaeas and let me know which type of this unsympathetic lady you would find interesting enough to pay a premium for (maybe I will upgrade this one time but then it would have to be a Sestertius spectacularly beautiful or interesting. Does that exist for this Empress?) Stay safe, JG
Nice Sestertius, @Julius Germanicus ... no need for extensive write up. I just read Wiki! MAMMY RI Julia Mamaea AR denarius Pietas incense altar perfume Seaby 48
Although Julia Mamaea isn't my favorite empress either, I find the Venus and Cupid reverse on your sestertius quite appealing! This coin I bought mostly for the Vesta with palladium: Julia Mamaea, Roman Empire, AE sestertius, 222–235 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA MAM[AEA] AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Mamaea, diademed, draped, r. Rev: VES[T]A; Vesta, draped, standing l., holding palladium in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand. 30mm, 24.40g. Ref: RIC IV Severus Alexander 708.
Very nice example, @Julius Germanicus, and with more eye-appeal than my examples. Here's a denarius, sestertius, and middle bronze with this reverse type: You're right that her coin types are rather workaday, but I do like the seated Juno type: IVNO AVGVSTAE, "Juno of/for the empress"; sestertius of Julia Mamaea depicting the goddess seated, holding a flower and an infant. On this particular coin Juno is depicted with the attributes of Juno Lucina (a flower and a baby), who was the protectress of women in childbirth. RIC 341
I have two like the OP, but neither as nice as the OP. Not sure which one is the "upgrade" since they are both pretty beat:
Very nice new addition, I like that reverse type. Julia Mamaea, AE Sestertius (30mm., 20.27g.), Draped bust r., wearing stephane. Rev. Felicitas standing l., holding caduceus and leaning on column. RIC 676.