Obverse: IVLIA AVGVSTA; Bust of the Empress
Facing Right
Reverse: FORTVNAE FELICI; Fortuna, Standing to
the Left, Holding a Cornucopiae and a Rudder
Empress Julia Domna was the second wife of the
Roman emperor Septimius Severus (reigned 193-
211) and a powerful figure in the regime of his
successor and their son, the emperor Caracalla.
Julia was a Syrian (Domna being her Syrian name)
and was the daughter of the hereditary high
priest Bassianus at Emesa (now Homs) in Syria
and elder sister of Julia Maesa. Domna gathered
about her in Rome a group of philosophers and
other intellectuals whose activities are best
known through the writings of Philostratus. After
Severus' death, the murderous rancor of her two
sons, the joint emperors Caracalla and Geta,
culminated in the assassination of Geta by
Caracalla in her presence. When Caracalla
(reigned 211-217) was on campaign, he left her
in control of most of the civilian administration,
demonstrating the significant status of this
woman in a society dominated by men.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial
an powerful woman passed from the hands of
civilization to civilization, from generation to
generation that still appears as vibrant today as
the day it was struck.
- (C.0312)
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