New coin - Julia Domna

[dougsmit]

On 3/20/2024 at 10:28 AM, maridvnvm said:

One of the rare dated reverse series. The third known example, others in Paris and Vienna. Die match to the Paris example.

How many different dated reverses are known for Julia?  I only have this one BONI EVENTVS IICOS.  The next question would be whether the entire supply of all of the different types would fit in one hand.  I never trust population counts.  One known too often turns into a dozen.  Collectors and museums who never correspond with anyone exist in numbers not easy to count.  For Julia, at present, I only am only aware of two coins I own that I have yet to see another reported.  They share an obverse die but have different reverse spellings (unless you say that B and R are just the same in different fonts).  I wonder how many like them are out there hiding in unpublished collections.  Mine came three years apart from two different sellers so there is no way of knowing if they were hoarded together or part of a larger group of similar coins.  

 

Another impossible question:  If we had completely accurate counts of all the existing Eastern mint Domna coins, how many of them would be one of a kind or one of a small handful (10 or so?)?  How many exist in as many as 100?  The old saying is that there is nothing more common than a rare ancient coin. 

[maridvnvm]

@dougsmit I know that you have a penchant for Alexandrians. There are dated Alexandrians known for Domna too.

Julia Domna denarius

Obv:– IVLA (sic) DOMNA AVG, Draped bust right, hair tied in bun behind
Rev:– VIRTVS AVG COS II, Roma, seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear
Minted in Alexandria, A.D. 194
References:– RIC - (Unlisted Hybrid with reverse from Sept. Sev. 350I (which is R2))

[Marsyas Mike]

2 hours ago, dougsmit said:

Another impossible question:  If we had completely accurate counts of all the existing Eastern mint Domna coins, how many of them would be one of a kind or one of a small handful (10 or so?)?  How many exist in as many as 100?  The old saying is that there is nothing more common than a rare ancient coin. 

This one's weird, unlisted, fake, something...but I found another one on FORVM:

Julia Domna    Æ (?) Denarius (c. 196-211 A.D.) Unknown / Unofficial Mint IVLIA D AVGVSTA draped bust right / FIDES PVBLICA, Fides standing right, holding corn-ears and basket of fruit. RIC IV -; BMCRE -; RSC III - (Unofficial issue; see notes) (2.46 grams / 16 mm) eBay Mar. 2020 $3.26

"This coin combines the obverse of a Julia Domna denarius with reverse of a Caracalla denarius. The style is not official. It is an ancient counterfeit. The core is probably base metal." http://www.forumancientcoins.com/catalog/roman-and-greek-coins.asp?zpg=8921

 Note:  Per OCRE, there are eight FIDES PVBLICA types for Caracalla:  RIC 8, 19, 24Aa, 24Ab, 24a, 24b, 330A and 334.

Here's another odd-ball Julia Domna I posted on CT a while back: 

 

Julia Domna    Æ (?) Denarius (c. 196-211 A.D.) Unknown Mint IVLIA AVGVSTA bust right / IMP[ERII FELI]CITAS, standing female facing, head right, holding grain or thunderbolt (?) in left hand, column or altar to right (?) Unattributed "Limes" or barbaric imitation (3.36 grams / 18 mm) eBay Jan. 2019 $2.24

"...reverse type is IMPERII FELICITAS. It clearly begins IMPER and ends in CITAS. However, the goddess here clearly holds a branch, whereas Felicitas holds a caduceus on the only Severan issue with this reverse type, a denarius of Caracalla, RIC 9 (Rome), RIC 331 (Eastern mint). That type depicts Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus in right hand  and child on left arm." (RC et al., Coin Talk)

https://www.cointalk.com/threads/julia-domna-a-very-ugly-denarius-id-help-please.331780/ 

 

[maridvnvm]

Her unofficial coinage is also interesting.

Julia Domna barbarous denarius

Obv:– IVLIA DO-MNA AVG, Draped bust right, hair tied in bun behind
Rev:– LIBE-RI AVG, Liberalitas seated left, holding accounting board and cornucopiae
Barbarous mint
Reference(s) – None. Appears to be Barbarous imitation of IV 627a.

[dougsmit]

In another century, I would expect there to be more known about what we now call unofficial.  A hundred years ago, the Alexandrian denarii were not recognized as a separate mint and few coins were known.  We won't see it but we should not assume that everything is now known.  Who knows what further study and further finds will bring to light.  Were all of these unofficial or, perhaps, small, short term mints, perhaps travelling, set up to provide coinage for some specific purpose in some place not easily supplied from Rome or the other now recognized mints?  Those of you who think they know all the answers are behind those who realize that studying these things is an ongoing and neverending task.