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Author Topic: A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins  (Read 899 times)

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Offline Steven H

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A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins
« on: November 15, 2018, 12:53:25 pm »
To say I'm new to ancient coins is an understatement, at least when it comes to owning them. I've been a diehard fan of ancient Roman history for a long time (mostly first century), and a couple years ago became interested in ancient coins, but it's a hobby I can't afford, so buying coins hasn't been a part of it. However, two years ago I was able to buy my first coin from Forum, a Vespasian dupondius, because Vespasian is one of my favorite emperors and it was affordable. Now I'm in the process of buying another Forum coin, an absolutely beautiful Julia Domna denarius that I can't wait to get.

As I said, I really can't afford this hobby, so on the rare occasion when I can even consider a coin I may as well be very particular. I decided to buy this Julia Domna denarius for a few reasons. First and most important, I bought it because it comes from Forum Ancient Coins, which to me means I get to shop without having to research a seller's reputation, question a coin's authenticity, wonder about accuracy, etc. Yes, absolutely, I'm waving a flag for Forum Ancient Coins!

So why this Julia Domna denarius? Well, because I have to be so particular, I wanted a Julia Domna with at the very least a well-struck portrait. If possible after that, also a well-struck readable legend. If it had those, then I also wanted what I think is a realistic portrait, not a cartoony mess. This coin has all of the above, so it grabbed me at first sight. I love the crisp portrait most of all, because I think it's much more realistic and believable than many other coin portraits I've seen of Julia Domna. By the time this coin was struck, she was 43 years old, and I think a majority of her coin portraits reflect her as she looked in her late teens (when she married Septimius Severus) or very early 20s. Also, in this portrait she resembles her sister Julia Maesa much more than the usual young version of her on most of her coins, so that makes me think it's more true to her actual look. I've seen a few different busts of Julia Domna, with a young doll-like version being the usual pictorial reference for her, but there are also busts of her that look like I would expect she looked in real life, especially later.

I started with this Julia Domna denarius with the wild dream of some day completing a collection of silver denarius coins in the same condition (or close to it) that also includes the rest of the family: Septimius Severus, Caracalla and Geta, Julia Maesa and her two daughters, and Elagabalus and Severus Alexander. I thought it would be neat to have this family in one collection because of their story (or stories), from Severus's ascension, Julia Domna's close involvement with his rule, Caracalla's brutality, Julia Maesa's ruthless ambition, and all the rest - maybe even a Macrinus thrown into the mix for historical accuracy. I doubt I'll ever see this collection, but it keeps me reading about the history, looking at coins, and staying involved that way, and I love doing that. None of this dream of a collection has anything to do with investment - it's solely for the history, and the awe I've felt while owning the simple Vespasian dupondius.

Thanks, Joe, for Forum Ancient Coins and everything you do to make it the resource that it is for dreamers like me.


Offline arash p

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Re: A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins
« Reply #1 on: November 15, 2018, 04:10:50 pm »
Hey Steven

Very nice write up ! Its always nice to hear a fellow collector who has a passion for history. I think most of collectors of ancient share this passion and interest in history and very few collect ancients for financial gains (although that could as well happen as a side benefit over time).

 I also like the Flavian and Severus dynasties. Here are few of mine from the same era.


Offline Steven H

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Re: A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins
« Reply #2 on: November 15, 2018, 04:22:24 pm »
So you're saying you want to donate your Severans to my budding collection, right? I'll even pay the postage (hahaha) - nice coins!

Offline curtislclay

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Re: A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins
« Reply #3 on: November 15, 2018, 05:29:17 pm »
A bold portrait!

Struck in 214 AD, so three years before the end of Caracalla's reign, according to my reconstruction of the type sequence.

I think a similar VESTA denarius of Domna, though not so nice, was the second or third ancient coin I ever purchased, as a ninth-grader just beginning Latin in school, about sixty years ago!
Curtis Clay

Offline TIF

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Re: A Julia Domna beauty from Forum Ancient Coins
« Reply #4 on: November 16, 2018, 05:54:50 am »
What a compelling portrait!  She looks quite formidable, an appropriate mien based on what we know of her from contemporary histories.

 

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