Coin of the Week

JULIA DOMNA. Struck 194 AD. AR Denarius (3.04 gm). Rome mint. IVL[IA] DOMNA AVG, draped bust right / [VENE]RI VICTR, Venus standing right, holding globe in right hand, palm in left, left elbow resting on short column. RIC IV 536; BMCRE 49; RSC 194.

Welcome to my first "Coin of the Week". I thought I'd start of with something affordable and fairly common, and on the surface rather dull. A simple Julia Domna denarius, well sort of. Notice anything wrong with the coin? What is that, is it double struck? Yes, it is double struck, except the first strike was two years earlier under the reign of Commodus! As many of you know, I collect Severan denarii among other things. This is my favorite Julia Domna denarius!

The undertype is a denarius of Commodus as follows: L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL, laureate head right / P M TR P XVII IMP VIII COS VII P P, Fides standing left, holding standard in right hand, cornucopiae in left; star in right field. RIC 233; BMCRE 316; RSC 583. Commodus' profile and right hand side of the legend are visible on the reverse behind Venus. The reverse type is a bit more difficult to make out, but the star in the right field is visible behind Domna's head, traces of the legend are visible along the edge of the coin, and the standing figure of Fides can be seen in Domna's hair.

The style of Domna's portrait is a bit odd. Typically her first issues, with the name spelled in full on the obverse, show a young portrait. This coin though shows an older woman, more reminiscent of Manlia Scantilla than a young Julia Domna. I attribute this to Rome but I can not understand why the mint of Rome would overstrike an earlier denarius. I am unaware of any Rome mint denarii of Septimius overstruck on earlier denarii. It's not a product of the "Emesa" mint, the style isn't close. It doesn't appear to be an ancient imitation or forgery, where would the profit be in taking a denarius out of circulation and making another denarius? Perhaps it's the product of a yet unidentified mint, but there should be other coins known of this same style an I am not aware of any that don't fit fairly neatly into either Rome, Emesa or old style Laodicea. I guess for now I'll have to assume it's Rome and try to come up with an explanation for the use of an old flan.

Unlike Greek overstrikes, Roman overstrikes are quite rare. Off the top of my head, I am aware of the following overstrikes: 1) A few republican denarii are known overstruck on earlier republican denarii. 2) Some early Republican bronzes are struck over earlier bronzes. 3) Septimius Severus overstruck denarii of Pescennius Niger at his mint of "Emesa". I think 2 or 3 of these are known with clear undertypes. 4) Some antoniniani are known overstruck on earlier denarii. 5) Postumus regularly overstruck sestertii of the earlier empire. 6) I have seen a handful of Constantinian bronzes overstruck on earlier Constantinian bronzes. 7) In CNG Sale 58, there was a Procopius Siliqua overstruck on a Constantius II siliqua. Others may exist. It would make an interesting study.

There is also another example of this very coin in the Doug Smith Collection, struck from the same obverse die. I do not recall if the under type is the same variety or not.

Next week, something a little more valuable!

Barry Murphy - Email

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