Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Herennia Etruscilla, wife of Trajan Decius. Aureus, Roma 249-251, AV 5.29 g.

Description: HER ETRVSCILLA AVG Diademed and draped bust r. Rev. PVDICITIA AVG Pudicitia, veiled, seated l., holding sceptre in l. hand and drawing veil with r.

References: C 18
RIC T. Decius 59a
Calicó 3308a
Condition:An elegant portrait well struck in high relief, good extremely fine
Provenance: CNG sale 100, 2015, 1946
Note: Yet another of the 'blank pages' in Roman history, Herennia Etruscilla may have enjoyed the privileged upbringing of an Etruscan noblewoman, but the end of her days were anything but pleasant. Even though she held the title Augusta and resided in Rome, she was largely powerless because before he left the capital her husband installed Publius Licinius Valerianus (the future emperor Valerian) in a newly created position that gave him almost unlimited authority in the city of Rome. When the news arrived that her husband and eldest son had been killed in a Gothic ambush, Etruscilla and her youngest son, Hostilian might have expected the worst. However, they not only survived, but were honoured by the new emperor Trebonianus Gallus, who did not hail his own wife Augusta, but rather allowed Etruscilla to retain the title. Numismatic evidence shows that Etruscilla probably retained the title into Gallus' reign, for the output for her and Hostilian is higher at Antioch than that of her slain husband and son.