My Second Augusta: Marcia Otacilia Severa!

After recently stumbling upon a very nice portrait of Faustina Minor as I searched coins of her husband Marcus Aurelius, I decided to make a concerted effort to look for more Augusta. My search is complicated by several constraining factors. One...is budget. The second is my focus on larger size coins. Thirdly, it is complicated by my desire to find the most realistic portrait possible. This can get quite difficult. Especially by the third century, as the Roman taste in portraiture begins to shift away from realism. [Hence my struggle with Aurelius]

This depiction of Otacilia, while not strictly realistic, does bear the appropriate hallmarks: the fleshiness of the face, depiction of the eye, ear, bulb of the nose, defined lips, and pointed chin. And, of course, the details of the hair/wig are fantastic! Quite pleased to add this beauty to the collection.

For a concise and wonderful biographic sketch of this imperial wife, I refer you to the post by Irbguy entitled 'Otacilia Severa - Wife of Philippus I' (06/19/2017).

Obverse: MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG. Draped bust with tiara. Reverse: PVDICITIA AVG. Pudicitia with sceptre and veil, seated left, in section SC. 29.2 mm, 14.52 grams.