A SMALL COLLECTION OF JULIA DOMNA COINS

[ominus1]

..seems i have a lil collection of Julia Domna's going on..and there's a couple more i want to get..:)..she had a purdy long reign as wife of Sept. and mother of Caracalla that provides several different obverses, and many different reverses..

SHOW YOUR JULIA DOMNA COINS!

[Ryro]

I have a bit of a not so secret crush on JD and believe that she may have been one of the most attractive of the Julias:

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by Ryro

[arizonarobin]

I can never get enough JD. Now seeing the pictures, I need to re-shoot the Pegasus- it does not do the coin justice. 😅

Here are a couple of my favorites:

 

 

[Roman Collector]

That's a nice representative assortment, @ominus1! Two struck under Septimius Severus and two under Caracalla. Desirable reverse types. I love that Temple of Vesta reverse type!

I have too many Julia Domnas to post, so I'll show my favorite one of all. It was formerly owned by Clarence Bement (1843-1923):


Julia Domna, AD 193-217
Roman orichalcum dupondius; 10.61 gm, 24.2 mm
Rome, issue 6, AD 195
Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: FECVNDITAS, Fecunditas enthroned right, nursing one child, second child stands before her.
Refs: RIC 844; BMCRE 494; Cohen 43; Hill 126; RCV 6639
Notes: Ex Ars Classica VIII, 1924, Bement Collection, lot 1184. Die-match to BMCRE-494, pl. 21.4.

It appears in Ars Classica VIII, 1924, Bement Collection, lot 1184. Here's the listing from that auction:



 

[Jims,Coins]

Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for JULIA DOMNA, Wife of SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, between 211 - 217 A.D. Obv. IVLIA.PIA.FELIX.AVG.: dr. bust r. Rev. VENVS.GENETRIX.: Venus seated l., holding apple and sceptre; before her, cupid-standing r., hand on her knee. RCS #1867. RSCIII #205. RICIV #C389(b). DVM #51.

Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for JULIA DOMNA, Wife of SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, Between 196 - 211 A.D. Obv. IVLIA.AVGVSTA.: dr. bust r. Rev. IVNO.: Juno stg. half left, holding patera sceptre; in front, peacock stg. l., head turned back.  RSCIII #82. RICIV #S559. DVM #26.

Silver coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for JULIA DOMNA, Wife of SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, Between 203 A.D. Obv. IVLIA.AVGVSTA.: dr. bust r, hair waved and fastened in plait. Rev. PIETAS.PVBLICA.: Pietas standing l., at Altar, raising both hands.  RCS #1847. RSCIII #156. RICIV #574. 

[Severus Alexander]

Fantastic As @ominus1! 

My little group:

[Spaniard]

Some sweet coins shown...

I really like the difference between Rome and the Eastern mints.. 

[shanxi]

Another Domna

Julia Domna
AR-Denar, Laodicea Mint
Obv.: IVLIA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right
Rev.: LAETITIA, Laetitia standing left, holding purse and anchor.
Ag, 2.94g, 19mm
Ref.: RIC IV 641 var. (Laetitia holding purse instead of wreath), CRE 364 [C] var.

 

 

 

[ambr0zie]

Domna is one of my favorite empresses in coinage. I love her portraits and the variety of reverses, some of them with symbolic importance. 

Here is one I was glad to get very cheaply

Julia Domna. Augusta AD 193-217. Rome

Denarius AR

18 mm, 2,68 g

RIC IV Caracalla 381 (denarius) 

Date: AD 211

Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, Bust of Julia Domna, hair elaborately waved in ridges and turned up low at the back, draped, right / Rev: MAT AVGG MAT SEN M PATR, Julia Domna, draped, seated left, holding branch in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand

Mother of the Augustii, mother of the Senate, mother of the country. Can't get much better than that. 

[Ursus]

I admit to having a couple of Julia Domnas:

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 193–196 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VENERI VICTR, Venus standing with back turned, head r., holding apple in r. hand and palm in l., resting l. elbow on column. 18mm, 4.13g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: CERERI FRVGIF; Ceres, draped, seated l., holding corn-ears in her r. hand and torch in l. hand. 19mm, 3.65g. RIC IV Septimius Severus 546.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: IVNO, Iuno standing l., holding patera and sceptre, peacock at feet l. 18mm, 3.20g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 559.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, r. Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele, turreted, draped, seated l. on throne, holding branch in extended r. hand and sceptre in l. hand, resting left arm on drum set on l. knee; to either side of throne, lion. 19mm, 3.19g. Ref:  RIC IV Septimius Severus 564.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, r. Rev: VENVS FELIX; Venus, draped, standing front, head l., holding apple and drawing drapery from l. shoulder. 19mm, 2.82g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 580.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VESTAE SANCTAE; Vesta standing l., holding patera and sceptre. 17.5mm, 3.08g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 587.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 193–196 AD, eastern mint (Antioch or Cappadocia?). Obv: IVLIA DO[MNA] AVG, bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VENER VICT, Venus standing l., holding apple in extended r. hand and sceptre in l. 17mm, 2.54g. Ref; RIC IV.1 Septimius Severus 630.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 211–217 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: DIANA LVCIFERA; Diana, draped, standing l., holding a torch in both hands. 19mm, 3.09g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 373A.

Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 196–211 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, r. Rev: PIETAS PVBLICA; Pietas, veiled, draped, standing front, head l., at altar, raising up both hands. 19mm, 2.02g. Ref:  RIC IV Septimius Severus 574.

Edited February 2, 2023 by Ursus

[Numisnewbie]

 

I like this portrait because I think it is an authentic look at Julia near the end of her life, in her mid 50s, a couple years after the killing of Geta and a couple years before the killing of Caracalla. Caracalla wouldn't have been nearly as interested in portraying her on coins as a young pretty empress as Septimius Severus did...just my opinion.

[Qcumbor]

Some nice stuff. I don't have a lot of JD's myself

 

Q

[Al Kowsky]

30 minutes ago, Qcumbor said:

Some nice stuff. I don't have a lot of JD's myself

 

Q

Love that Emesa Tet 😍.

[Prieure de Sion]

Julia Domna Time ... !

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 203 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 3.44g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 574; Provenance: Gorny & Mosch Munich; Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA AVGVSTA for Iulia Augusta; Reverse: You can see the personification of Pietas standing to the left. Hands raised in orante (prayer) posture, to her right is an altar. The inscription reads: PIETAS PVBLICA for Pietas Publica (Pietas of the People).

 

Comment: This denarius from 203 AD is very interesting in the historical context with this Pietas Publica. To do this, you have to illuminate the backgrounds a bit. Gaius Fulvius Plautianus was a Roman praetorian prefect at the time of Emperor Septimius Severus. Through the trust of the emperor, he attained an extraordinary position of power. Plautian reached the peak of his power when, as a result of his great influence on the emperor, his daughter Fulvia Plautilla became engaged to Caracalla, the elder of the two emperor’s sons, and in 202 AD was married, although Caracalla, who regarded and hated Plautian as a rival, did not want this. But not only Caracalla had personal differences with his future wife and father-in-law. The empress, Iulia Domna, was also an enemy of him. Plautian was able to massively reduce their influence at court and towards the emperor. He treated her disrespectfully, collected alleged incriminating evidence with which he wanted to prove her an indecent lifestyle, and plotted against her with the emperor. This put her on the defensive and forced her to live a solitary life at times. With this historical background, one has to add the 203 AD. embossed denarius with Iulia Domna and the depicted personification of Pietas. However, with the help of his former tutor Euodus, Caracalla put an abrupt end to Plautianus‘ striving for power. He managed to convince his father Septimius Severus that Plautianus was plotting to assassinate the emperor. Then Plautian was killed on January 22, 205 AD summoned to the palace, where he was killed in the presence of the emperor on the orders of Caracalla, without first being able to defend himself. The corpse was thrown from the imperial palace onto the street and buried later on the emperor’s orders.

 

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 214 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.37g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Caracalla 373a; Provenance: Künker Poinsignon Numismatique Strassbourg; Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG for Iulia Pia Felix Augusta; Reverse: The goddess Diana can be seen standing to the left. She carries a torch in both hands. The inscription reads DIANA LVCIFERA for Diana Lucifera.

 

 

 

Iulia Domna

Antoninianus of the Roman Imperial Period 215 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 21mm; Weight: 5.81g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Caracalla 379a; Provenance: Ex Yves Gunzenreiner Collection; Obverse: You can see the right-facing draped bust of Iulia Domna with Stephane (wreath or crown) and crescent moon. The inscription reads: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG for Iulia Pia Felix Augusta; Reverse: You can see the goddess Luna driving to the left in a horse biga with a flowing cloak. The inscription reads: LVNA LVCIFERA for Luna Lucifera.

 

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 211/217 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 20mm; Weight: 2.86g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Caracalla 388c; Provenance: Roma Numismatic London; Obverse: The draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right can be seen. The inscription reads: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG for Iulia Pia Felix Augusta; Reverse: The goddess Venus is seated to the left, with her right hand outstretched and a scepter in her left hand. The inscription reads: VENVS GENETRIX for Venus genetrix (mother Venus).

 

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 196/211 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.28g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 561; Provenance: Roma Numismatic London, Ex Private Collection England; Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA AVGVSTA for Iulia Augusta; Reverse: Laetitia is standing to the left, holding a wreath in her outstretched right hand and an oar in her left hand. The inscription reads: LAETITIA for Laetitia (personification of joy).

 

 

 

Julia Domna - the Venus

 

The empress is as beautiful as Venus and progenitor as the goddess. The empress – the imperial family – ensures a rich harvest and thus prosperity, victorious undertakings, correct dealings with the deities and thus guarantees the much-vaunted happiness. In her key role as the emperor’s wife and mother of the heirs to the throne, Iulia Domna authenticated the vision of eternal harmony and eternity of family rule – propagated on coins with corresponding legends. She was „emperor, tribe and mother of the country“ (aptly Alexandridis). The half-naked Venus is indeed one of the first editions for the empress, if not the earliest. The editions can be dated to the years 193/196 AD. The type is known for all mints that minted silver for Iulia Domna: Rome, Alexandria, Emesa and Laodicea ad Mare. Perhaps one can even go so far as to say that this type was “imported” from the Roman city mint into the provinces, where the reverse stamps of earlier rulers, such as those of Pescennius Niger, were sometimes still used. If you take a closer look at Venus, you will notice the robe or its „tail“. Sometimes they hang down to the left of the column, sometimes they can be found on the right between the robe and the palm branch. Doug Smith had already tried to discover a kind of regularity there. However, one can say the following: Strikes from eastern mints always have both “tips”. All variants only exist from the Roman city coin, with the version with both “garment flaps” being the rarest, strangely enough. The variant with the “pillar tip” is just as rare. Wildwings even lists a specimen in which these „tails“ are entirely absent.

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 193/196 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 17.4mm; Weight: 3.37g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536 var. (Towel end left); Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA DOMNA AVG for Iulia Domna Augusta; Reverse: The goddess Venus can be seen standing with her back to the viewer and her head turned to the right. Naked, covered only by a cloak which folds below the hips. She is leaning on a pillar with her left elbow, holding a palm branch in her hand and holding an apple in her outstretched right palm. The inscription reads: VENERI VICTR for Veneri Victrici (for Venus, the victorious).

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 193/196 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 18mm; Weight: 2.61g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536 var. (RARE Rome version! Towel end left and right); Provenance: Emporium Numismatics Hamburg; Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA DOMNA AVG for Iulia Domna Augusta; Reverse: The goddess Venus can be seen standing with her back to the viewer and her head turned to the right. Naked, covered only by a cloak which folds below the hips. She is leaning on a pillar with her left elbow, holding a palm branch in her hand and holding an apple in her outstretched right palm. The inscription reads: VENERI VICTR for Veneri Victrici (for Venus, the victorious).

 

 

Iulia Domna

Denarius of the Roman Imperial Period 193/196 AD; Material: Silver; Diameter: 19mm; Weight: 3.53g; Mint: Rome; Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536 var. (Towel end right); Provenance: Roma Numismatic London, Ex Private Collection England; Obverse: You can see the draped bust of Iulia Domna facing right. The inscription reads: IVLIA DOMNA AVG for Iulia Domna Augusta; Reverse: The goddess Venus can be seen standing with her back to the viewer and her head turned to the right. Naked, covered only by a cloak which folds below the hips. She is leaning on a pillar with her left elbow, holding a palm branch in her hand and holding an apple in her outstretched right palm. The inscription reads: VENERI VICTR for Veneri Victrici (for Venus, the victorious).

 

 

 

[arizonarobin]

11 hours ago, Severus Alexander said:

Fantastic As @ominus1! 

My little group:

The JD from Alexandria mint is making me a little green. Also the Portrait on the Thessalonica Provincial is absolutely beautiful.

 

[LONGINUS]

Great JD collection, @ominus1!

I’ve a few. I look for pretty faces or more specifically faces that resemble folks that I know, when I’m shopping for these.

 

 

Edited February 2, 2023 by LONGINUS

[Limes]

Magnificent collection @ominus1! Of course the Venus issue is a must have (which I dont...!), but(t) I also really like the reverse of your AE As(s) with the 4 Vestal virgins.

And others members have shared their great coins as well. I really like the issue with Luna riding the biga on the reverse posted by @Qcumborand @Prieure de Sion, and the issue with Cybele on the reverse posted by @Ursus. Great coins! 

My Domna's:

[ambr0zie]

This thread is severely lacking some sestertii - I will post my only Domna sestertius, with an extremely popular reverse. 

Julia Domna. Augusta AD 193-217. Rome

Sestertius Æ. AD 193-196

30 mm, 25,51 g

IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, right / VENERI VICTR S C, Venus, naked to waist, standing left, holding apple in extended right hand and palm sloped over left shoulder in left hand, resting left elbow on column

RIC IV Septimius Severus 842; Cohen 195; BMC 488.

[dougsmit]

21 hours ago, Roman Collector said:

I have too many Julia Domnas to post

This is a very common problem.  I, too have a few Domnas including some not seen all that often.  There have been many of the 'from the rear' coins shown.  Who has the one with the reverse legend spelled out?  

If that is too easy, try the one using the same obverse die with the reverse legend spelled out using B for R.

 

There are several spellings of this reverse from Alexandria.  I have this one and would like the others.  

 

Die clashes are common from the Several period but this one is stronger than most with a bold DO on the reverse.

 

Who knew Julia held two Consulships as memorialized on this 'Emesa' coin.  The concept was unclear to the guys at the mint. 

I always liked this basket type but especially like it because it used the same die as one of my coins of her husband.  These are shown together on one of my old web pages 'The Bride'.  

Once I felt lucky to have what I considered the most rare Domna that was listed in Cohen.  He knew the coin in the BnF collection.  Hopefully someday they will post their photo of it.  Later, I felt luckier to find a second one from the same die set but then the British Museum posted images of their coins including their two specimens an both were nicer than mine.  I have no idea about the quality of the French coin or even if it still exists.  Knowing of five of a coin takes it from super rare down to 'a bit scarce'.  I still want to see others as they become available.  

 

That is enough denarii but my wife is calling me so the provincials and bronzes will have to be for another post.  One could collect Domna and nothing else hardly risking running out of something to 'want'.