Severan Family Portraits - 4 Denarii

A few threads recently featured coins of the Severans, but I thought it made sense to let these recent pickups share some family time together in the same post .


SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS

One from my recent group lot. IMHO, a nice portrait coupled with a nice Genius on the reverse.


JULIA DOMNA

My first Domna denarius. I wanted a coin of hers with the MATER AVGG legend, and this one couples it with Cybele drawn by a quadriga of lions!


CARACALLA

From the Laodicea mint. I was attracted to the toning and the wonderful eastern style portrait of young Caracalla.


GETA

Another coin from the group lot. Geta sporting serious facial hair... when I first saw this coin, I thought I was looking at a Caracalla.

Feel free to post any of your Severan coins!

 

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Really exquisite coins, Z. One of my collecting goals this year is to flesh out an emperor set of Severan Dynasty denarii, including the extended family. I haven't gotten very far. Here's S.S. and J.D.



And I happen to have this denarius of S. Alexander. A rather generic and uninteresting type, but it's a lovely example of a generic and uninteresting type...

 

One of my favorite eras. I have many myself, even extended family. Too lazy to post them all.

Great Geta, I picked up the same type a few months ago, just hasn't been shared yet.

I swear a hoard of those Getas with LIberalitas have been released. They were a bit scarce and now everywhere lately. Glad to get mine cheap though.

 

Very nice! There are several Severans I've been watching for but the types I want are elusive and often too expensive.

Here are some of my Severan imperial coins.


Septimius Severus
Rome, CE 206
AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 20 mm, 12h
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev: LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref: RIC 274; BMC 343.
ex Colosseo Collection


Septimius Severus, 193-211 AD
AR denarius,Rome
20 mm, 3.3 gm
Obv: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG, laureate head right
Rev: VIRT AVG TR P COS, Virtus standing left holding Victory and spear
Ref: RIC 24, RSC 752, BMC 33
This was from a large mixed lot. I have since cleaned the white crud from this coin but have not yet reshot the images. I think the gunk was plaster or jeweler's investment.


Caracalla, 198-217 AD
Rome, struck 215 AD
AR denarius, 19 mm, 3.8 gm
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head right (looks like GURM instead of GERM)
Rev: PM TRP XVIII COS IIII, Fides standing left holding two standards
Ref: RIC 266, RSC 315, BMC 143
From the same mixed lot as the Septimius coin above.


Elagabalus, 218-222 CE
AR denarius, 19.4 mm, 3.5 gm
Antioch, 218-219 CE
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right
Rev: SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABAL, Quadriga right, bearing sacred Baetyl stone, flanked by four parasols
Ref: RIC IV 195
More information about this coin plus a funny diorama of the reverse can be seen in this thread: A Boy and His Stone

 

Thanks for bringing out your Severans, JA and TIF, what excellent coins! And yes, I had to click on the link to the Boy and his Stone thread just so that I could see the diorama again .

 

Some extended family...


Julia Maesa (218 - 225 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA MAESA AVG, Draped bust right.
R: FORTVNAE REDVCI Fecunditas standing left, raising hand over child and cornucopia.
Rome
18.8m
3.1g
RSC 14

Rare Engravers Error:

This coin features Maesa's Fecunditas type, RIC 249 = RSC 8, and should have been labeled FECVNDITAS AVG.

It implies that Maesa's FECVNDITAS AVG type and Elagabalus' FORTVNAE REDVCI type were being produced simultaneously, that is in 219 AD, the known date of the FORTVNAE REDVCI type.

This error is not unpublished: Cohen 14 reports a specimen in Paris, RIC 252 takes it over from Cohen.

About the 6th known of this type, found two other specimens with the same combination of type and legend, both from the same reverse die but feature a young Maesa bust. This type features the older bust type.

Possibly unique to feature this particular bust


Julia Mamaea (222 - 235 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA MAMAEA AVG, Diademed and draped bust right.
R:VENVS GENETRIX, Venus standing left, head left, holding scepter and apple; at feet to left, Cupid standing right with hands raised.
Rome
3.6g
20mm
RIC 355 (Severus Alexander), RSC 072

Portrait outline on reverse.


Orbiana (225 - 227 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG, draped bust right.
R: CONCORDIA AVGG,Concordia seated left holding double cornucopia and patera.
Rome
19mm
3.8g
RIC IV 319, RSC III 1, BMCRE VI 287, SRCV II 8191


Julia Paula (219 - 220 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA PAVLA AVG, Draped bust right.
R: CONCORDIA, Concordia seated left, patera in right, left elbow resting on arm of throne, star in left field.
Rome
3.1g
18.3mm
RSC 6a , RIC 211



Julia Soaemias (218-222 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA SOAEMIAS AVG
Draped bust right.
R: VENVS CAELESTIS
Venus diademed seated left on throne, apple in right, scepter in left, child at her feet.
SRCV 7720 RIC 243 RSC 14
3.6g
19.6mm

 

A few provincial Severans:


THRACE, Pautalia
Caracalla
CE 198-217
AE29, 16.4 gm
Obv: AYT K M AY CEY ANTΩNEINOC; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: OYΛΠIAC ΠAYTAΛIAC; Asklepios seated right on back of winged serpent
Ref: Varbanov 5007


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum
Elagabalus
AE 18 mm, 2.8 gm
Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNINOC, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: NIKOΠOΛITΩ NΠPOCICTPO N, Priapus standing left, drawing back his cloak to expose his phallus, bowl of fruit balanced on phallus, right hand extended pouring from patera
Ref: Varbanov 3811, AMNG 2022


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum
Julia Domna, Augusta
AE 22 mm, 4.5 gm
Obv: IOVΛIA ΔOMNA CEBAC; draped bust right
Rev: NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICT; ithyphallic Priapus standing right
Ref: Varbanov 2858


PHOENICIA, Tyre
Julia Maesa
AE 27, 12.71g (11h)
Obv: IVLIA MAE - SA AV[G] Draped bust right, wearing stephane
Rev: TVRIORVM Dido (?) standing left on deck of galley sailing right, extending right hand and holding cornucopia in left; to left, helmsman bending left over rudder (?); to right, sailor extending right hand and holding curved staff in left; stern decorated with a shield and aphlaston, [two murex shells] in exergue
Ref: CNG e320, 12 Feb. 2014, lot 323 (same dies). Rouvier 2408


PHOENICIA, Tyre
Elagabalus
AE29, 13.4 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Dido building Carthage; she stands to front before the arched gate of the city, looking left, holding a rule and transverse sceptre; above the gate, a mason at work, [below, a man digging with pick]; murex shell in upper field, palm tree to right
Ref: Rouvier 2375; BMC 409; AUB 245; Price & Trell 748. Rare.


EGYPT, Alexandria
Elagabalus
year 5 (probably), CE 221/2
tetradrachm
Obv: AKAICAPMAAVPANTωNINOCEVCEB; laureat head right
Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right; L-E (most likely E; could be B, year 2)
Ref: Emmett 2961(5), R2 (R3 if year 2)


MOESIA INFERIOR. Nikopolis ad Istrum
Elagabalus
AE 26 mm, 11.1 gm
Obv: AYT K M AYP ANTΩNEINOC. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICTPON. River-god reclining right, holding branch; prow at side
Ref: Varbanov 4055
ex Falter Collection, Nature Gods

 

Aquilia Severa (221 - 222 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, draped bust right.
R: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing half left, sacrificing from patera in right over lit altar, double cornucopia in left, star left.
Rome 221 A.D.
19mm
3.2g
RIC IV 226, BMCRE V 184, RSC III 2, SRCV II 7679

 

Well since we've busted out the provincials, I have a few more to add...

S. S. Marcianopolis...



S. S. Nikopolis ad Istrum...



Geta, Pautalia...



Elagabalus, Antioch...



Julia Mamaea, Bostra...



S. Alexander, Rhesaena - an exceedingly rare coin...

 

Great stuff, Mat. All very nice, though I particularly like the Orbiana and Julia Soaemias.

 

.... aaaand now I'm jealous.

 

Love your coins Z, especially that JD with the lion quadriga. All of the others here are very nice as well. Here is my humble showing:

 

Incredible display of 'Severans' one and all!!

Mine are a bit more modest and already displayed, so I'll post my Plautilla:

 

Well, if we are showing off Plautilla (the poor thing):

 

Wow, great idea for a thread, Z-Bro (well played)

Oh, and great coins posted so far by everyone!! (awesome)

=> man, I can't wait to get home from work and post a few of my sweeties!



Oh, and thanks for the family tree, TIF (that'll speed-up my process)

 

My Plautillas


Plautilla (202 - 205 A.D)
AR Denarius
O: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right.
R: PIETAS AVGG, Pietas standing front, head right, holding a child.
Rome
3.4g
18.5mm
RIC 367 RSC 16


Plautilla (202-205 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE, Draped bust right, hair in bun behind.
R: HILARITAS, Hilaritas standing, holding palm branch and cornucopia.
Laodicea Mint
3.3g
18mm
RIC IV 371 (Caracalla) RSC 14

 

Julia Mamaea


Julia Soaemias


Julia Maesa


Severus Alexander

 

Sep Sev



Julia Domna



Geta



Plautilla




Caracalla

 

Julia Mamaea




Elagabalus




Severus Alexander (oh, and Julia Maesa ... kinda)

 

I will not show all of my Severans but only one for each of the four mainstream members. These are not necessarily my favorites but are selected in the hope that non of you have a better one of the types.

Septimius, Alexandria using the Venus reverse more commonly found for Domna.


Domna, Emesa mint, VICTOR IVST AVG seated - I'm told the French National collection has one of these but I have not seen a photo. I really would like to see photos of any others anyone comes across.


Caracalla - There are no Emesa or old style Laodicea mint coins of Caracalla. If there were they might look like this BONI EVENTVS coin experts tell me is just barbarous. I like to think the reverse die was left over when the mint closed but that is just as silly a dream as the one that allows any possibility that there were a few coins of Caracalla in the last few days of Emesa.

Geta, AE as, commemorating his consulship in 205. Severan asses are often special issues for New Year's donatives or ceremonies. When one has a left bust and broad flan, I believe it had to be more than just small change. RIC lists one of these from a Revue Numismatique article in 1912. I have not seen that reference or other coins.