Classical Numismatic Group, LLC
Auction 123 23-24 May 2023
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Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. AV Aureus (19mm, 6.98 g, 11h). Emesa mint. Struck AD 194-195. IMP CΛE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, laureate head right / ROMΛ ΛETERNΛ, Roma, helmeted and draped, seated left on cuirass, holding Victory on outstretched right hand and vertical spear in left; shield to right. Calicó 2534, illustrating NGSA 10 (2018), lot 56 = NAC 99 (2017), lot 21 = Triton III (1999), lot 1115 = Lanz 74 (1995), lot 591 (same rev. die); otherwise, unpublished. Lustrous, some die rust, scratch on obverse. EF. Extremely rare; the second known example.
Emesa, a caravan city in north-western Syria, was the hometown of Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus, whose family connections to the priestly ruling caste of that city proved important to the Severan dynasty. Unlike many cities in the East, Emesa remained loyal to Severus during the destructive civil war with Pescennius Niger, who was governor of Roman Syria before being acclaimed by his soldiers as Augustus in AD 193. Severus sent his armies eastward and engaged Niger in a series of battles starting in the fall of AD 193, culminating with a decisive victory at Issus in May of AD 194. Niger was hunted down and killed. Severus and Julia Domna then undertook a triumphant tour of the eastern cities, probably arriving in Emesa in mid-194, an occasion marked by the striking of gold aurei, including this exceedingly rare example.
Emesa, a caravan city in north-western Syria, was the hometown of Julia Domna, wife of Septimius Severus, whose family connections to the priestly ruling caste of that city proved important to the Severan dynasty. Unlike many cities in the East, Emesa remained loyal to Severus during the destructive civil war with Pescennius Niger, who was governor of Roman Syria before being acclaimed by his soldiers as Augustus in AD 193. Severus sent his armies eastward and engaged Niger in a series of battles starting in the fall of AD 193, culminating with a decisive victory at Issus in May of AD 194. Niger was hunted down and killed. Severus and Julia Domna then undertook a triumphant tour of the eastern cities, probably arriving in Emesa in mid-194, an occasion marked by the striking of gold aurei, including this exceedingly rare example.