Watch List notes:

Septimius Severus, with Julia Domna, Caracalla, and Geta. AD 193-211. AV Aureus (19.5mm, 7.19 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 202. SEVERVS PIVS AVG P M TR P X, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / FELICITAS above, SAECVLI below, draped bust of Julia Domna facing between a laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Caracalla right vis-à-vis a bareheaded, draped, and cuirassed bust of Geta left. RIC IV 181b; Calicó 2590 (same dies as illustration); BMCRE 379; Biaggi 1125 (same dies). Lightly toned, underlying luster, a few light marks and scratches, typical weakness to Domna's nose. Near EF. Rare and popular type.

Ex Provence Collection.

The reign of Septimius Severus was unique for the production of a remarkable series of coins depicting various members of the Imperial family in a variety of combinations, many of great beauty and exceptional iconographic interest. Among the rarest of this series is this beautiful aureus, which combines a forceful obverse portrait of Severus with a facing bust of his wife Julia Domna, between confronting busts of their two sons Caracalla and Geta. The legend FELICTAS SAECVLI, "happy age," completes the propaganda message of a secure new dynasty. In reality, the dysfunctional family dynamic led to a very brief run for the Severan clan.