Watch List notes:

THE ROMAN EMPIRE
Septimius Severus, 193 – 211

Aureus circa 202, AV 7.26 g. SEVERVS PIVS – AVG P M TR P X Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. FELICITAS / SAECVLI Draped bust of Julia Domna facing, between, on l., laureate and draped bust of Caracalla facing r. and on r., bareheaded, draped and cuirassed bust of Geta facing l. C 4. BMC 379 and pl. 37, 5 (these dies). RIC 181b. Calicó 2590 (these dies).
Very rare and possibly the finest specimen known of this intriguing issue. Three
magnificent portraits exceptionally finely engraved by a very talented
master-engraver. Virtually as struck and Fdc


Ex Vecchi sale 8, 1997, 294.
Certainly among the most famous Roman coin types, this issue occurs only as an aureus. With the exception of a possibly unique aureus of c. 209 that depicts the confronted heads of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna on the obverse, and the confronted heads of Caracalla and Geta on the reverse, this is the only Severan dynastic coin that depicts all four members of the imperial family. More importantly, though, it is the first instance in Imperial coinage where the principal type includes a facing bust. The specific positioning of the three heads on the reverse – mother facing between the confronted heads of her sons – brings to mind a heated piece of advice Julia Domna gave to her quarrelsome sons about a decade after this aureus was struck: "You may divide the empire, but you cannot divide your mother!".