Hoards from Britain reveal Julia Domna's most common reverse types minted between AD 196 and 211 were VENVS FELIX, PIETAS PVBLICA, and VESTA SANCTA. Most of the goddesses depicted on the reverses of the empress's coins bespeak family and fertility, but PIETAS PVBLICA stands out as an important exception. As Julie Langford notes,[1] the empress's pietas -- her devotion to family, state, and gods -- takes on a particularly public quality with this type, which depicts the empress as Pietas raising her arms and hands in an attitude of prayer over a lit altar. The adjective publica undoubtedly suggests that Domna's piety was somehow involved in the preservation of the empire, the res publica. Domna's piety was of special concern to the citizenry towards the end of Severus's life. Langford postulates this reverse type was issued to soothe anxieties caused by her contentious sons, Caracalla and Geta.[2] Although Hill[3] assigns this coin to issue 16, AD 203, when Caracalla was Augustus alongside Septimius Severus and Geta was Caesar, the dates Hill ascribes to the various issues are taken with considerable skepticism by Curtis Clay and by the curators of the British Museum collection. The British Museum rightfully acknowledges uncertainty about the timing of this issue and dates it to AD 196-211 for the issue of Rome[4] and to AD 196-202 (or later) for the issue of Antioch.[5] Were this coin to have been issued after AD 209, when Geta was elevated to Augustus alongside his brother, Langford's hypothesis would seem particularly applicable. This reverse type was only used on the denarius denomination and was struck at two mints, Rome and Antioch (formerly attributed to Laodicea; see this discussion for more details). Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman AR denarius, 3.35 g, 19.5 mm, 7h. Rome, AD 196-211. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: PIETAS PVBLICA, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, both hands raised in prayer; at her feet, garlanded and lighted altar. Refs: RIC 574; BMCRE 69ff.; Cohen 156; RCV 6601; CRE 380; ERIC II 122. Julia Domna, AD 193-217. Roman AR denarius, 3.45 g, 19.3 mm, 6h. Antioch (formerly attributed to Laodicea), AD 196-202 (or later). Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: PIETAS PVBLICA, Pietas, veiled and draped, standing left, both hands raised in prayer; at her feet, garlanded and lighted altar. Refs: RIC 643; BMCRE 612; Cohen 156; RCV --; CRE 381; ERIC II 121. Post your Pietas coins, comments, or anything you feel is relevant! ~~~ 1. Langford, Julie. Maternal Megalomania: Julia Domna and the Imperial Politics of Motherhood. Johns Hopkins Univ. Press, 2013, p. 46. 2. ibid, p. 46. 3. Hill, Philip V. The Coinage of Septimius Severus and His Family of the Mint of Rome, A.D. 193-217. Spink and Son Ltd., 1977, p. 21. 4. “Coin.” British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1208065&partId=1&searchText=Domna%2B69&page=1. Accessed 26 January, 2019. 5. “Coin.” British Museum, www.britishmuseum.org/research/collection_online/collection_object_details.aspx?objectId=1207466&partId=1&searchText=Domna+612&page=1. Accessed 26 January, 2019.
Rome mint; 196 - 211 AD 15 x 17 mm, 3.02 g; Ref.: RIC IV Septimius Severus 560; Cohen 97; Obv.: IVL(IA AVG)VSTA Bust of Julia Domna, draped, right, hair waved and coiled at back Rev.: IV(NO) REGINA Juno, veiled, draped, standing left, holding patera in extended right hand and scepter in left hand; at feet, left, peacock IVNO types of Julia Domna denarii issued under Septimius Severus, were minted in Rome, Laodicea, Alexandria and Emessa. RIC lists no IVNO types from Alexandria, Emessa, or other mints. On Laodicea issues the lettering is of a different style, smaller and with few serifs, the drapery on Julia's bust is rather differently rendered and coins have a loop above the drapery on the side of her neck. Furthermore, on the Laodicea issues, the flan is smaller, both in diameter and weight.
I am generally slow to accept changes to theories based on flimsy theories and consider the replacement of old city names with Antioch to be in that category. On the other hand, I can not be altogether negative about anyone who questions anything Hill wrote. Most of his theories strike me as demonstrably wrong. Syrian Rome Publica Rome Avgg Barbarous Avgg Barbarous Publica Alexandria PIETAS no staff with staff The Pietas coins of 'Emesa' for Septimius are different and show the emperor rather than the goddess. The 'Emesa' coins bearing the legends FORTVNA REDVCI (or an abbreviation) come with several different personifications including one with Pietas sacrificing (below). Coins of this early period are known using many/most of the Septimius reverses on IVLIA DOMNA AVG obverses but I do not have the Pietas if it exists. I strongly suspect it once existed but I do not recall seeing one (Martin???). I have a regular Fortuna and the Hilaritas with that legend but not the Pietas. That is another post for another day.
The Greek personification of piety was Eusebeia. EGYPT, Faustina Junior (147-175 AD), dated Regnal Year 12 of Antoninus Pius (147/8 AD), billion tetradrachm 22mm 13.61g Obv: ΦΑVС[ΤΙΝΑ] СƐΒΑСΤΗ; Faustina II Rev: L ΔωΔƐΚΑΤΟV; Eusebeia seated left, holding patera over lit altar, holding long scepter RPC vol 4 #13632 (temporary), D 3247, Geissen 1945, M 1985 The concept of Eusebeia is anthropomorphized as the spirit of piety, loyalty, duty and filial respect. Her husband is Nomos (Law), and their daughter is Dike, goddess of justice and fair judgment. (The Roman equivalent is Pietas.)
