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 Replies: 12 / Views: 3,637 |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Julia Maesa was the sister of Julia Domna and grandmother of both Elagabalus and Severus Alexander. Maesa orchestrated the overthrow of the usurper Macrinus and installed her grandson Elagabalus on the throne. The end result was that her grandson was executed by the Praetorian Guard (Elagabalus was a bit odd to say the least) and Severus Alexander was put in his place. The Imperial mints at Rome and Antioch both produced coins with Julia Maesa's likeness. Demoninations included Denarii, AE As, Dupondius and Sestertius as well as a single type of silver Antoninianus and Quinarius (very rare and only one set of dies known). Provincial mints also produced bronze coinage with her likeness. Overall her coinage is not too difficult to obtain, with some exceptions. One exception I would like to showcase is the Antoninianus. There was only one type of Antoninianus struck for Julia Maesa, and it is quite scarce. Unlike some of the later silver Ants of the period, this earlier example is heavy, coming in at 5.86 grams, though still not close to the theorized value of two denarii that scholars believe it was intended to be denominated. Silver Antoninianus were first introduced during the rule of Caracalla, and thus this would be one of the earliest of the type, being minted shortly after Caracalla's rule ended. The weight of this denominiation would be constantly reduced in the years to come and eventually the denomination would become billon or bronze instead of silver. It is an important coin in the study of the debasement of Roman coinage. 218-219 AD. IVLIA MAESA AVG, diademed & draped bust right, resting on crescent / PIETAS AVG, Pietas standing left, holding patera over altari & box of incense  As I do not have an example of a Denarius, I hope that other members can contribute with examples from both Imperial Roman mints, and I know we would like to see some bronze coins as well! Edited by EFLargeCents
04/30/2017 8:50 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
616 Posts |
Dumb question - but is that tooling around her portrait or am I seeing things?
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Pillar of the Community
 United States
1304 Posts |
The obverse is slightly doubled as struck.
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Moderator
 United States
23731 Posts |
I like how the double strike highlights the bust.
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Moderator
United States
34416 Posts |
Great coin--I'm hoping for other posts of Julia Maesa coins to this thread.  "If you climb a good tree, you get a push."
-----Ghanaian proverb
"The danger we all now face is distinguishing between what is authentic and what is performed."
-----King Adz
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Pillar of the Community
 Spain
2752 Posts |
Just put a search on vcoins for her Antoninianus $375 and up! Beautiful coin  I'm afraid I'll have to stick with her denarius $30 - $50 I must admit I didn't know about the rarity of her Antoninianus, thanks for the write up and information. Saludos Paul |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
6130 Posts |
Super coin!
I have a really beat up denarius of hers, I only have the obverse imaged for my portraits thread, though. I'll see if I can get both sides. I have always been fascinated how Maesa is depicted as so... old, compared to Domna who never seems to make it past her mid 40s on her coins!
Also a correction to make: Soamias, not Maesa died with Elagabalus. Maesa convinced Elagabalus to adopt Alexander as his caesar, and may have even orchestrated the murder to rid herself of her unruly grandson.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Thanks for correction Finn, fixed it in the original post!
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Pillar of the Community
United States
616 Posts |
Here's my Julia Maesa denarius.  Julia Maesa Denarius, RIC 268, RSC 36, BMC 76 - Julia Maesa Denarius. IVLIA MAESA AVG, draped bust right / PVDICITIA, Pudicitia seated left, raising veil and holding sceptre. RSC 36. |
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Pillar of the Community
United Kingdom
701 Posts |
A little worn - JVLIA MAESA AVG FECVNDITAS AVG / Fecunditas standing L holding R hand over child, Cornucopiae in L hand. RIC IV - 249   |
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Pillar of the Community
United States
949 Posts |
I really like seeing that ant, EFLC. Nice item. I'll stick with denarii. Since my usual writeups are just irritating people, I will ramp it back. Here are three Maesa denarii with different hairstyles. The first is a parallel to the ant EF showed us, with the same reverse type but different features to the obverse: no crescent, no stephane (tiara). The fire altar on my coin looks more like a bottle/amphora of something. Go figure. This, like the ant, is from the mint at Rome. BMCRE Elagabalus 73 ( RSC 29; RIC 263)  The next is a Juno type also from the mint at Rome. BMCRE Elagabalus 68 ( RSC 16; RIC 254)  The obverse hair style is long and sweeps down with a bun low at the back. The firgure of Juno on the reverse holds a patera in her right hand and a scepter/staff nearly vertical in her left with hanging drapery. The third is the parallel Juno type from the mint at Antioch; no stephane. BMCRE Elagabalus 296 ( RSC 20a ; RIC unlisted ) []  For this the hair sweeps down but has a large queue at the back. The figure of Juno on the reverse is postured as at Rome, but now is accompanied by her peacock. In this example the peacock has the posture of a denarius with a stephanate obverse (#295), but without a stephane. Added after the following note from EF:: I just ordered this item to go along with the other two. This is the version from Antioch in which she wears the stephane on the obverse, as with the antoninianus, but on a denarius. Note the wide break in the obverse inscription.  The reverse has the Juno type with peacock, but the engraving is much cruder than the others. The ancients often preceded the cutting of lines and curves by laying down patterns of drilled dots and then connecting them. Here the work is not cleanly done. I personally am fascinated to find things like this. Edited by lrbguy
05/01/2017 12:14 pm
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Great coins Irbguy! The style differences between the two Imperial mints, particularly of the face and hair on the obverse, is quite distinct. The peacock actually looks quite nice, I have a Julia Mamaea that I will showcase in her thread with a Juno reverse where the peacock engraving is quite terrible.
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Pillar of the Community
United States
1304 Posts |
Very nice Irbguy, that peacock is similar in style to the one I was referring to. I'm beginning to think I have an Antioch specimen to share when it comes to my Mamaea example. Thanks for that update, very cool, the reverse style on that one is almost like a barbarous imitation!
Edited by EFLargeCents
05/01/2017 12:25 pm
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Replies: 12 / Views: 3,637 |
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Posted 04/30/2017 1:50 pm
