Otacillia Severa

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Tejas, Mar 4, 2021.

  1. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I bought this Antoninian of Otacillia Severa:

    MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG // PIETAS AVG

    I bought it because I think it shows a particularly nice and expressive portrait of Philip Arabs' wife. I didn't pay much attention to the reverse initially. However, the reverse seems to be of a scarcer type. I could not find another exemplar in acsearch or wildwinds with Pietas holding a staff and a box in her left hand and a litte child standing in front of her. Does anybody have a reference for this coin?



    Screenshot 2021-03-04 at 21.20.58.png
     
    Last edited: Mar 4, 2021
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  3. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    You hit the jackpot!!

    That is very rare. It is not listed in RIC, Cohen or Sear. It is no. 536 in Temeryazev and Makarenko's The Coinage of Roman Empresses. They attribute it to the Antioch Mint. See CNG Auction 97, lot 709. It sold for $3750!

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    Last edited: Mar 4, 2021
  4. ancient coin hunter

    ancient coin hunter 3rd Century Usurper

  5. Victor_Clark

    Victor_Clark all my best friends are dead Romans Dealer

    The CNG coin has an obverse of OTACILIA, while the coin of Tejas is OTACIL. It is RIC IV 122b. Though RIC does not describe the sceptre, the plate coin for the type with altar left shows it. Maybe list it as RIC IV 122b var.
     
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  6. Roman Collector

    Roman Collector Well-Known Member

    Nope. I was wrong in the details of the reverse. The one I posted has a different reverse type. Although there is a scepter on your coin, PIETAS holds an incense box in her left hand and has an empty right hand.

    As @Victor_Clark has noted, it is most similar to RIC 122b.
     
  7. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    ...that's why we call him "Roman Collector"..:D...(but he's 1st to admit he made a mistake occasionally :))
     
  8. ominus1

    ominus1 Well-Known Member

    nice one Tejas...double struck obverse?...
     
  9. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Wow, that is a bid of luck. I found it on Ebay. I have several Otacillia Ants and bought this one only for the particularly nice obverse (which is not double struck).

    Many thanks for the replies and the references.
     
  10. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    Note that CNG's rare Antioch coin also adds an N at the end of the rev. legend.

    At Rome, without that N, it's a scarce early type, only nine specimens in the Dorchester hoard.

    The variant with scepter above the incense box is new to me, however.
     
  11. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    Reputable seller, I hope?
     
  12. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Do you have doubts about the authenticity of the coin? He has a 100% rating for what its worth.
     
  13. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    I see no reason to doubt the coin.
     
  14. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I also have no doubts that the coin is genuine.

    Here is another recent purchase on Ebay. I like the portrait of Philippus, which I think looks a bit unusual. I think this is RIC 42:

    IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG // PAX AETERNA

    Screenshot 2021-03-06 at 09.11.16.png
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2021
  15. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I also bought this Philippus II Antoninian. I think the variant with AVG instead of AVGG maybe a bit scarcer. Not sure about the RIC number:

    IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG // AEQVITAS AVG



    Screenshot 2021-03-06 at 09.20.16.png
     
    Last edited: Mar 6, 2021
  16. gsimonel

    gsimonel Well-Known Member

    I would have doubts if it was a new seller or someone from Germany/Bulgaria*. That, combined with the fact that your coin appears to be unique would set off alarm bells for me.

    But if you are convinced of the seller's integrity, then it appears that you got very interesting variant. Congratulations on a nice find.

    *I don't mean to disparage German dealers. I am referring to a few eBay sellers who claim to be in Germany but sell fake coins that originate in Bulgaria.
     
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  17. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Does anybody know the reference for this coin? Is it RIC 42 or 41? Is PAX AETERN (without final A) RIC 41 and PAX A E TERNA RIC 42?

    Many thanks
     
  18. curtislclay

    curtislclay Well-Known Member

    Since AETERNA not AETERN, RIC 42 not 41.

    You have the earlier and scarcer variant: 9 specimens in the Eauze hoard, compared to 35 specimens with AETERN.
     
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  19. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    Great, thanks a lot, so RIC 42 it is.

    Meanwhile I found a single exemplar on acsearch, which fetched an unexplicably high price, but perhaps there is something else special about that coin - maybe the extra large figure of PAX?:

    https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=814428
     
  20. Claudius_Gothicus

    Claudius_Gothicus Well-Known Member

    That's because it's a denarius, not an antoninianus. Denarii of Philip I are extremely rare.
     
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  21. Tejas

    Tejas Well-Known Member

    I identified this Ant as RIC 240. I wonder why they have used the reverse legend AVG instead of AVGG. Philipp II has never been a sole ruler. Was that perhaps a mint error?
     
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