A new character in the play : Aquilia severa

[Qcumbor]

Hi friends

After more than 40 years of collecting ancient coins, you don't have the opportunity to adding a new character to your portrait gallery every day. It's been the case lately with the arrival of a denarius of Aquilia Severa, second, and fourth wife of Elagabalus.

 

Her Wikipedia page : Julia Aquilia Severa (d. after 222) was the second and fourth wife of Roman emperor Elagabalus. She was the daughter of Gaius Julius Severus.

Image source

Severa was a Vestal Virgin and, as such, her marriage to Elagabalus in late 220 was the cause of enormous controversy – traditionally, the punishment for breaking the thirty-year vow of celibacy was death by being buried alive. Elagabalus is believed to have had religious reasons for marrying Severa – he himself was a follower of the eastern sun god El-Gabal, and when marrying himself to Severa, he also conducted a symbolic marriage of his god to Vesta.

Both these marriages were revoked shortly afterwards, however. This was possibly on the urging of Julia Maesa, the grandmother who had engineered Elagabalus' rise to the imperial throne. Elagabalus then married Annia Faustina, a more generally acceptable choice to the senatorial elite. Within a short time, however, Elagabalus had divorced Faustina and returned to living with Severa, claiming that the original divorce was invalid. It is believed that Severa remained with Elagabalus until the emperor's assassination in 222. The two are not believed to have had any children.

Severa's own opinions about the entire affair are not very well recorded. She was forced to marry against her will, and others go further, alleging rape. It is claimed by some historians, however, that many stories about Elagabalus have been exaggerated by his enemies, and so there is no certainty about what actually happened. It is unclear whether Elagabalus had any real feelings towards Severa, or whether he was more concerned with the symbolism of the marriage. Elagabalus also had relationships with men, and the historian Cassius Dio claims that Elagabalus had a more stable relationship with his chariot driver, Hierocles, than with any of his wives.

Her fate after Elagabalus' assassination is unknown.

Aquilia Severa (Augusta, 220-221 & 221-222), Denarius - Rome mint, 220-222 CE
IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG. Draped bust right.
CONCORDIA, Concordia standing left, holding double cornucopia and patera over lighted and garlanded altar to left ; star to inner left.
3,28 gr - 18 mm
Ref : RCV # 7679, Cohen # 2, RIC # 225 (Elagabal)

Provenance : Numismatik Naumann # 143/599, Ex Münzhandlung Ritter, bought before 2000 (with Ticket)

 

Elagabalus :

 

Julia paula, his first wife :

 

Thanks for looking, and as usual feel free to comment and/or post anything you feel appropriate

Q

[Kali]

Congratulations on getting her.

Aquilia Severa (220, & 221 - 222 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: IVLIA AQUILIA SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right.
R: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing facing, head left, holding double cornucopia and sacrificing with patera over altar to left; star to right.
Rome Mint
19mm
3.02g
RIC IV(part 2), pg 47, #226 (Elagabalus)

Scarcer with "Star in Right Field".

 

ulia Paula (219 - 220 A.D.)

AR Denarius
O: IVLIA PAVLA AVG, Draped bust right.
R: CONCORDIA, Concordia seated left, patera in right, left elbow resting on arm of throne, star in left field.
Rome
3.1g
18.3mm
RSC 6a , RIC 211

[Roman Collector]

Lovely Aquilia acquisition for your numophylacium, @Qcumbor! Her denarii feature only a couple of reverse types, the other being the CONCORDIA with emperor and empress standing, facing each other and shaking hands. It's rare. 

The CONCORDIA standing type is the most common, but occurs with the empress wearing a variety of hairstyles, the significance of which is uncertain. Sometimes the star appears in the left field and sometimes the right field. I don't know what that means, either. Here's mine.

Julia Aquilia Severa, 220-222 CE.
Roman AR denarius; 3.18 gm, 19 mm, 6 h.
Rome, 220-222 CE.
Obv: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing left, sacrificing with patera over altar and holding double cornucopiae; star in left field.
Refs: RIC 225; BMCRE 336; Cohen 2; Thirion 476; RCV --; CRE 458.

Edited August 24 by Roman Collector

[MrMonkeySwag96]

[TIF]

Nice score, Q!!  I have no Imperials to add but here she is with her hubby on an Aledandrian:


EGYPT, Alexandria. Elagabalus
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.27 gm
regnal year 4
Obv: laureate head right
Rev: Elagabalus standing right and empress (Aquilia Severa) standing left, each holding scepter, clasping right hands; L ∆ across field
Ref: Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 4098; K&G 56.43; Emmett 2929.4 (R4)

And a so-so portrait but with a rockin' Zeus Ammon:

EGYPT, Alexandria. Aquilia Severa
year 5, CE 221/2
tetradrachm, 23.5 mm, 11.57 gm
Obv: draped bust right
Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right; L-E
Ref: Emmett 3025.5, R3; Geissen 2376; Dattari 4186

[kirispupis]

Nice pickup! Here's my only example of hers.

Aquilia Severa (second and fourth wife of Elagabalus)
AR Denarius 2.81g, 18mm, 7h.
Rome, 220-222 CE
IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, draped bust to right
CONCORDIA, Concordia standing facing, head to left, holding patera over lighted altar and double cornucopiae; star in left field.
RIC IV 225 (Elagabalus); BMCRE 185 (Elagabalus); RSC 2a.
Ex Vitangelo Collection

[Curtisimo]

Fantastic new addition Q. She has been on my want list for a while but I’ve been outbid a few times. I think if Elagabalus hadn’t had her portrait placed proudly on a coin then historians might be inclined to doubt the whole “married a vestal virgin” story.

I don’t have a coin of hers yet but I do have a few of Elagabalus. I think the coins of him and his extended family are some of the most interesting of all imperial coin types.

Roman Empire
Elagalabus (218-222) 
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 221.
Dia.: 19 mm
Wt.: 2.84 g
Obv.: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; draped and “horned” bust right
Rev.: Rev. emperor standing left, sacrificing over altar, standard on either side 
Ref.: RIC IVB 51
Ex Mike Vosper FPL 112, no. 35a (March 11, 2000); Ex CNG E-Auction 465, Lot 722 (part of); Ex Shea19 Collection, AMCC 3, lot 239 (July 24, 2021)

Edited August 24 by Curtisimo

[Qcumbor]

Nice "hornament" ! 🙂 

Beautiful portrait, very lively !

Q

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

This scarce empress is a nice acquisition.  I only have a handful of coins from the imperial ladies.  Come to think of it, my most 'recent' Elagabalus denarius is from the 1990's.

[Tejas]

Great addition to your collection.

I found my Julia Aquilia Severa on Ebay

 

Obv.: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG

Rev.: CONCORDIA

Mint: Rome

Year: AD 220

Weight:  3.58g

 

GVF with a large flan, scarce

 

RIC 225

[Alegandron]

Well done Cuke!  Very nice denarius.

Mine be a worn out ugly, but it is a place-marker for me.

RI Julia Aquilia Severa 220-222 CE AE 2nd and 4th Wife Elagabalus

 

Julia Paula Augusta AD 219-220 AR Denarius 18 mm 3.10g Antioch mint AD 219-220 - Venus Genetrix seated left holding apple scepter RIC IV 222 RSC 21

 

RI Elagabalus 218-222 CE AR Antoninianus Radiate Roma seated

Edited August 31 by Alegandron

[Jims,Coins]

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted for JULIA PAULA, first wife of ELAGABALUS, between 219-220 A.D. Obv. IVLIA.PAVLA.AVG.: dr. bust r. 
Rev. CONCORDIA.: Concordia seated l., holding patera and resting l. arm on arm rest, star in l. field. RCS #2149. RSCIII #6. DVM #1/1.
Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted for AQUILA SEVERA, second wife of ELAGABALUS, between 220 - 222 A.D.
Obv. IVLIA.AQVILIA.SEVERA.AVG.: dr. bust r. Rev. CONCORDIA.: Concordia standing left by altar, holding patera and double cornucopiae; 
star in left field. RCS #2158. RSCIII #2a. RICIV #225. DVM #1.

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted for AQUILA SEVERA, second wife of ELAGABALUS, between 220 - 222 A.D. 
Obv. IVLIA.AQVILIA.SEVERA.AVG.: dr. bust r. Rev. CONCORDIA.: Concordia standing left by altar, holding patera and double cornucopiae; 
star in left field. RCS #2158. RSCIII #2a. RICIV #225. DVM #1.

Silver Coin (AR Denarius) minted at Rome for JULIA SOAEMIAS mother of ELAGABALUS, between 218 - 222 A.D. Obv. IVLIA.SOAMIAS.: Bust of Julia Soaemias, hair waved and turned up low at the back, draped right. Rev. VENVS.CAELESTIS.:  Venus, diademed, draped, standing left, holding apple in extended right hand and sceptre in left hand; sometimes in field, star. RCS #2170. RSCIII #8. RICIV #241. DVM #2/1.