Sometimes A Moustache Is Just A Moustache

Sometimes it is easy to overlook the obvious. When I posted my Severina antoninianus I noted that she was sporting a rather 'fetching' moustache. It certainly does look as if she is ! I thought perhaps someone at the mint was making social commentary. Aurelian had brutally supressed a rebellion of the moneyers which resulted in the army being called into Rome and thousands of citizens getting killed in the resulting melee. While we at the safe distance of 17 centuries can 'admire' Aurelian he did at that time have his detractors.
Interestingly the obv. legend reads SEVERINAE AVG. How odd .... plural ? Well that can't be (one Severina was sufficient) so it must be singular Genitive (of) or singular Dative (to). A quick search does not seem to turn up many other females who made use of this form (Plautilla wife of the young Caracalla previously and Magnia Urbica wife of Carinus later) although in the case of the Julias of the Severan period a plural might have been more appropriate !
Now to the reverse ..... Hmmm. Once again we have something different and something the other 'girls' don't have - CONCORDIAE MILITVM. Now there are plenty of Roman coins with either CONCORDIA or CONCORD MILITVM but I don't see any others with CONCORDIAE. Once again it is either plural (doubt it) or singular Genitive or Dative. Now it has been over 35 years since I last had Latin class and my teachers are all long gone. But using the Google translate I get "Military Agreement" with either Concordia or Concordiae Militum forms ..... no difference. But when I type in just Concordiae ...... I do get something different. "Equanimity"

'Equanimity (Latin: æquanimitas having an even mind; aequus even animus mind/soul) is a state of psychological stability and composure which is undisturbed by experience of or exposure to emotions, pain, or other phenomena that may cause others to lose the balance of their mind.'

The coins of Severina are all dated to AD274-5 and many of them have CONCORDIA MILITVM (along with standard SEVERINA AVG) But I notice also an antoninianus (Sear 11703) with CONCORDIA AVGG which as all others dates AD274-5. AVGG ? Who is this second G ? Vabalathus had been dead for years.

Aurelian was asassinated in 275 and an interregnum lasted for anywhere from 2-6 months depending on the sources. Severina continued to issue coin in her own name according to other sources. And the Senate surprisingly issued a 'Damnatio Memoriae' on Aurelian (He wasn't exactly popular with the Senators - it was later repealed by Tacitus). Severina must have found her position difficult to say the least. No one is sure what later became of her as the sources are silent. It is assumed she retired to quiet obscurity. But the strange 'moustache' makes me wonder if she had not once aspired to the throne of the World.








I bought this coin long ago. I must admit to my giving the 'ladies' less attention than they deserve. After buying it for a nominal amount it went into the 'box' rarely if ever to ever see the light of day.