Severina, wife of Aurelian. Aureus, Ticinum 275, AV 6.36 g. SEVER – INA AVG Diademed and draped bust r., set on crescent. Rev. CONCOR – DIAE – MILITVM Concordia standing facing, head l., holding two military ensigns. C 6. RIC 2 corr. (Rome). RIC online 1559 (these dies). Göbl 79a. Estiot 79c. CBN 657 (these dies). Calicó 4063.
Exceedingly rare, among the finest of very few specimens known. A superb
portrait of excellent style, virtually as struck and almost Fdc

For a woman so abundantly represented on coinage, little mention is made of Severina outside the realm of numismatics. A handful of inscriptions are known, most of which refer to her as the wife of Aurelian and assign to her the title Augusta, which she very likely earned in the fall of 274 at the time of Aurelian’s triumph for his defeat of Romano-Gallic and Palmyrene pretenders. All literary references to Severina must be regarded with scepticism due to the late date and dubious nature of the sources. Despite reports in The Historia Augusta to the contrary, Severina’s origins were probably as humble as those of Aurelian. Her nomen Ulpia was common in the Balkans by this time due to the legacy of Trajan, and there is no reason to suspect any real connection to nobility in Spain. Sadly, it is fair to say that beyond her being the wife of Aurelian and holding the title of Augusta from 274 to 275, nothing that we know about her can be held above suspicion. The numismatic evidence uniformly supports the idea that she was hailed Augusta in 274, as all of her imperial coinage is of the type issued after Aurelian’s monetary reform, which is thought to have occurred in the early months of 274. Furthermore, her coinage at Alexandria is limited to Aurelian’s years six and seven, thus to 274 and 275. The most difficult element of the numismatic evidence occurs in the period of Aurelian’s murder in October or November, 275. The Historia Augusta provides an elaborate framework for this period, which includes a senate-ruled interregnum of perhaps six months between the murder of Aurelian and the assumption of power by his successor, Tacitus. The notion of a rise in senatorial authority over the army at this moment in history has long been discarded as wishful thinking or revisionist thinking by the author of The Historia Augusta, but it is possible there was a period of sole rule by Severina after the death of her husband. Close study of the coinages of all mints, and especially those of Antioch and Alexandria, suggest a larger volume of coinage was struck in the name of Severina than Aurelian just prior to the commencement of coinage for Tacitus. If we assume that analysis is correct, there would be no good explanation other than coinage was being struck solely in the name of Severina after her husband’s murder. However, much about the coinage of this period remains to be sorted and we can only entertain this as a possibility. If true, it is probably best to regard her sole-reign as a carry-over period in a moment of transition rather than a senate-sponsored interregnum of the kind described in The Historia Augusta.

NAC114, 817

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Gallienus joint reign with Valerian I, 253 – 260 and sole reign, 260 – 268. Aureus, Mediolanum (?) 253-260, AV 1.85 g. CONCORDIA AVGG Jugate busts of Gallienus, radiate, draped and cuirassed, and Salonina, diademed and draped; both on crescent. Rev. LAETITIA AVG Laetitia standing l., holding wreath in r. hand and anchor in l. C –. RIC 1 (Aureus and Rome). Mazzini 6 (this coin). Göbl pl. 88, 1125g (this coin). Calicó 3670 (this coin).
Of the highest rarity, only very few specimens known. An issue of tremendous importance
and fascination bearing two lovely portraits of fine style, traces of double-striking
on obverse and minor marks on reverse, otherwise extremely fine

Ex Sotheby's sale 19-20 June 1991, Hunt part IV, 880. From the Mazzini and the George C. Hopkins collections.

This extremely rare gold piece is remarkable and mysterious in many ways. For one thing, its denomination has been a source of uncertainty. Although it is often characterized as a gold quinarius it seems rather light for this denomination and its mint is uncertain, although Mediolanum has been suggested. The obverse features the jugate busts of Gallienus and his wife, the Empress Salonina with the somewhat unexpected legend, CONCORDIA AVGG, rather than the usual imperial titulature. This legend is also known on the obverse of gold medallions of Gallienus and Salonina attributed to the mint of Rome in RIC. It would seem to date the piece to the period of the joint reign of Gallienus and his father (AD 253-260). As is not uncommon on imperial coins of the third century AD, the emperor appears here wearing a radiate crown, thereby comparing him to Sol Invictus, a deity favored by the army and increasingly seen as the patron of emperors. Salonina, as the consort of Gallienus, has her bust set on a crescent to compare her to Luna, the female companion to the sun. The reverse type depicts the personification of Laetitia (Happiness) and the legend LAETITIA AVG. The singular AVG of this inscription stands in stark contrast to the plural AVGG (referring to Gallienus and his father, Valerian I) of the obverse. Here the singular form of the reverse should probably be understood to refer to Salonina, the sole Augusta. The only other LAETITIA AVG type struck under Gallienus appears on antoniniani with the portrait and titulature of Salonina and a parallel for the plural CONCORDIA AVGG obverse with a singular reverse explicitly referring to Salonina can be found in RIC 3 (Gallienus and Salonina). However, the LAETITIA AVG antoninianus type (RIC 17 [Salonina sole reign]) is normally dated to the period of Gallienus’ sole reign (AD 260-268), which would seem to be at odds with the joint reign dating of the CONCORDIA AVGG type. To make sense of this, one wonders whether the CONCORDIA AVGG obverse legend should not refer to the Augstus and Augusta depicted there, which would then make possible the dating of both types to the sole reign of Gallienus. We note that on antoniniani featuring the CONCORDIA AVGG legend the two figures shown clasping hands in concord are not Gallienus and Valerian I, but Gallienus and Salonina. This is truly an impressive and fascinating coin worthy of much further study.

NAC114, 806

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Severus Alexander, 222 – 235. Quinarius 224, AV 3.45 g. IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG Laureate and draped bust l. Rev. P M TR P III – COS P P Pax standing facing, head l., holding branch in r. hand and sceptre in l. C 253. BMC 166. RIC 39. King 18.
Extremely rare and in exceptional condition for the issue. An unusual and interesting
left portrait struck on a very broad flan, obverse from a slightly
rusty die, otherwise extremely fine

Ex Roma Numismatics sale 3, 2012, 515. From the collection of a retired banker.

NAC114, 782

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Geta caesar, 198 – 209. Aureus 209, AV 7.34 g. P SEPTIMIVS – GETA CAES Bare headed, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. PONT – I – F COS II Female figure standing to front, head r., holding sceptre in r. hand and drawing out fold of dress with l.; in front of her, two small figures raising hands. C 112 var. (Bare head). BMC 585 note. RIC 60c. Calicó 2899 (this reverse die).
Very rare. A superb portrait of fine style well struck on a full flan, almost invisible
marks on obverse, otherwise extremely fine / good extremely fine

Ex Leu 10, 1974, 250; Sotheby's 21 June 1990, Hunt, 777 and NAC 51, 2009, 356 sales. From the collection of a retired banker.The titulature on this beautiful gold aureus as well as the absence of a laurel wreath on the portrait show that it was struck in AD 209, sometime before the autumn. In the fall of that year, Geta was made Augustus, co-emperor alongside his father Septimius Severus and his older brother Caracalla. Here he still only has the title of Caesar. Caracalla had been named Augustus already in AD 197 and the disparity in power created a deep rift of jealousy and hatred between the brothers. This was not healed in AD 209 when Geta was made equal to Caracalla despite their differences in age. The relationship between the brothers became so strained that they required the mediation of their mother, Julia Domna, while Severus was alive. After Severus died in AD 211, Geta lived less than a year more before he was murdered by his brother. The portrait on this coin is absolutely wonderful in terms of both detail and the quality of the engraving. Like several other Severan-period aurei in this sale it represents the high point of die engraving at the end of the second and the beginning of the third century AD. This particular type reflects a change in the depiction of Geta on the coinage. Up until c. AD 208 it was usual to show him as a beardless youth on the imperial coinage, but here he looks like a rugged young man armored for war and wearing the curly beginnings of a campaign beard—a style that was also used for Caracalla. As such, Geta is now presented as a worthy successor for the aging Septimius Severus. On some later issues the campaign beard becomes much fuller to emphasize Geta as a potential second Severus. The reverse type is usually described as Pietas with two small children, perhaps alluding to the office of pontifex included in Geta’s titulature on the reverse. However, the two children have also suggested Fecunditas to some scholars. The female personification has even raised the possibility that the type could be read as Julia Domna and her two sons, continuing the false theme of dynastic security and harmony that was so popular on coins of the Severan family.

NAC114, 775

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Commodus augustus, 177 – 192. Medallion 186, Æ 54.73 g. M COMMODVS ANTONINV – S PIVS FELIX AVG BRIT Laureate bust l., wearing aegis and holding spear. Rev. P M TR P XI IMP – VII – COS V P P Commodus driving a triumphal quadriga r. C 508. Gnecchi 88 and pl. 84, 1.
Very rare and in exceptional state of preservation, undoubtedly one of the finest medallions
of Commodus in existence. A spectacular heroic portrait perfectly struck in high relief
and a superb reverse composition. An untouched green patina, good extremely fine

Ex NAC sale 23, 2002, 1890.

Judging from the ancient historians, the megalomania for which Commodus is most well known was not fully apparent until the final years of his reign, when he claimed to be a new Romulus, refounding Rome in his own image, and paraded himself as a living manifestation of Hercules. However, it is clear from the obverse portrait of this medallion that the seeds of Commodus’ madness were already sprouting in AD 187. Here the Emperor is presented in the manner of a hero, nude except for an aegis—a symbol of the divine protection of both Jupiter and Minerva—and brandishing a spear. This heroic representation, including the use of a back view has a long history covering vast distances. It first appears on Hellenistic coins of the Bactrian king Eukratides I (171-145 BC) but eventually made its way to Republican Rome where it was used for depictions of Veiovis (Crawford 298 and 354/1) in the late second and early first century BC. Commodus seems to have been the first to employ this portrait type on Roman Imperial coinage. It enjoyed some further popularity under the military emperors of the third century AD for whom it was paramount to appear as a superhuman warrior able to defend the Empire against its many enemies. The reverse type is rather more traditional from a Roman perspective and certainly far less dramatic than the heroic style of the obverse. Here Commodus rides in a triumphal quadriga while holding an eagle-tipped scepter. Unfortunately, it is unclear to what triumph the type refers. The Emperor is not known to have celebrated a triumph in AD 186, the year that the medallion was struck. Perhaps it still refers to the triumph celebrated for the victory of his generals in Britannia at which time Commodus assumed the title of Britannicus Maximus, even though he never set foot in the province himself. This title, abbreviated as BRIT appears in the obverse legend. A reminder of the British triumph might have been relevant in AD 186 since this year saw a revolt of the legions stationed in Britannia. This was only brought to an end through the intervention of the commander P. Helvius Pertinax, the man who would seize the imperial purple after the murder of Commodus in AD 192 and begin the bloody civil war known as the Year of the Five Emperors.

NAC114, 738

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