Roma Numismatics Ltd
Auction XX 29-30 Oct 2020
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Julia Domna (wife of S. Severus) AV Aureus. Rome, AD 201. IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / AETERNIT IMPERI, confronted laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus facing right and Caracalla, laureate draped and cuirassed facing left. RIC 539a; C. 1; BMCRE -, p. 157 note 1; Calicó 2652. 7.16g, 20mm, 11h.
Fleur De Coin; minor edge abrasion. Excessively Rare; rated R5 in Calicó, no other examples in CoinArchives.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XVIII, 29 September 2019, lot 1188 (sold for £80,000).
A decade before the death of Septimius, and Caracalla's despicable murder of his brother Geta, the Severan family are here portrayed as unified in the rule of the empire. The imagery presented is a strong propagandistic message of stability offered by a virtuous imperial family, creating the potential for a long-lasting dynasty by grooming the next generation for the duty of ruling the empire. Having been made Augustus at the age of ten, and only thirteen when this type was minted, the clear implication is that Rome should look forward to many more years of Severan peace.
The longevity and prominence of Domna's role as empress distinguishes her as one of the most significant women of the Roman Empire, ruling as Augusta for a quarter of a century. She married the future emperor Septimius Severus, two decades her senior, in AD 187. Their marriage seems to have been a happy one; Domna gave birth to two sons, Geta and Caracalla, in quick succession. After her husband's elevation, Domna and her sons quickly became central to message of dynastic stability promoted by Severan propaganda. She was awarded titles such as 'Mother of the Invincible Camps' and 'Mater Augustus' (Mother of Augustus). As scholar J. Langford notes, coins bearing this title were not created specifically to pay the army, but were minted in Rome perhaps with the intention to undermine the Senate by strengthening the perception of closeness between the imperial family and army.
Despite her image being more prominent than ever on coinage, Domna's power in the imperial court was curtailed between AD 200-205 with the rise of Plautianus, the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, who took her place as Septimius' closest adviser and confidante. She used her time away from court to develop a lifelong passion for philosophy, cultivating a circle of some of the finest thinkers and rhetoricians of the day. Cassius Dio writes that this earned Domna 'the most splendid reputation' for her intelligence and passion for letters among her contemporaries.
Fleur De Coin; minor edge abrasion. Excessively Rare; rated R5 in Calicó, no other examples in CoinArchives.
From the Long Valley River Collection;
Ex Roma Numismatics Ltd., Auction XVIII, 29 September 2019, lot 1188 (sold for £80,000).
A decade before the death of Septimius, and Caracalla's despicable murder of his brother Geta, the Severan family are here portrayed as unified in the rule of the empire. The imagery presented is a strong propagandistic message of stability offered by a virtuous imperial family, creating the potential for a long-lasting dynasty by grooming the next generation for the duty of ruling the empire. Having been made Augustus at the age of ten, and only thirteen when this type was minted, the clear implication is that Rome should look forward to many more years of Severan peace.
The longevity and prominence of Domna's role as empress distinguishes her as one of the most significant women of the Roman Empire, ruling as Augusta for a quarter of a century. She married the future emperor Septimius Severus, two decades her senior, in AD 187. Their marriage seems to have been a happy one; Domna gave birth to two sons, Geta and Caracalla, in quick succession. After her husband's elevation, Domna and her sons quickly became central to message of dynastic stability promoted by Severan propaganda. She was awarded titles such as 'Mother of the Invincible Camps' and 'Mater Augustus' (Mother of Augustus). As scholar J. Langford notes, coins bearing this title were not created specifically to pay the army, but were minted in Rome perhaps with the intention to undermine the Senate by strengthening the perception of closeness between the imperial family and army.
Despite her image being more prominent than ever on coinage, Domna's power in the imperial court was curtailed between AD 200-205 with the rise of Plautianus, the prefect of the Praetorian Guard, who took her place as Septimius' closest adviser and confidante. She used her time away from court to develop a lifelong passion for philosophy, cultivating a circle of some of the finest thinkers and rhetoricians of the day. Cassius Dio writes that this earned Domna 'the most splendid reputation' for her intelligence and passion for letters among her contemporaries.