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Denarius of Julia Domna

Bill Wiggins is the finder of this Roman denarius. I was told that Bill had recovered it from a freshly ploughed field in Northamptonshire. With the weather being fairly decent of late farmers are turning over their fields much sooner than in most years. Many fields have already been rolled and seeded so are now out of bounds for detectorists.

Bill’s find is a denarius of Julia Domna, who was the second wife of Septimius Severus. She gave birth to two sons, Geta and Caracalla, both of whom would eventually become emperor.

On the obverse is the head of Julia and a legend reading IVLIA AVGVSTA. On the reverse the standing figure of Hilaritas holds a long palm branch and a cornucopia and the legend reads HILARITAS. In volume II of David Sear’s Roman Coins and Their Values denarii of this type are listed as number 6586 and are said to have been struck at Laodicea during AD 198.

Valuation

Both sides of the coin have been struck slightly off centre and there are striking cracks in the edge. After allowing for the relatively minor defects I’d give the coin a price range of £45 – £50.

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