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🪙 JULIA DOMNA Ancient Roman Bronze - Stobi Macedonia - Hades & Persephone Myth
Rarity – R6 by Varbanov
⭐ Julia Domna became Roman empress in 193 AD as the wife of Septimius Severus, and later held the rare distinction of guiding much of the empire's civil administration herself while her son Caracalla campaigned abroad. She was known in her own time as a patron of philosophers and intellectuals.
This coin comes from Stobi, a prosperous municipium in Roman Macedonia, whose mint chose one of Greek mythology's most famous scenes to honor her: Hades carrying off Persephone in his chariot.
📋 QUICK DETAILS
Ruler: Julia Domna, Augusta (AD 193-217)
Region/Mint: Stobi, Macedonia (Roman Provincial)
Denomination: AE
Actual Weight: 10.44 grams
Actual Diameter: 24.1 mm
Composition: (AE) Bronze
Reference: Josifovski 151 ff.; Varbanov III 3934 (R6); Mionnet Supp. III 691
✨ The surfaces carry a beautiful, thick green patina throughout.
The obverse has the legend IVLIA AVGVSTA around a draped bust of the empress, her hair swept back in horizontal ridges with a chignon at the back.
The reverse, legended MVNICIPI STOBEN ("of the municipium of Stobi"), shows Hades driving a four-horse chariot to the right, gripping the struggling Persephone in one arm while holding his scepter in the other.
It's the ancient world's explanation for the seasons: Persephone's forced descent to the underworld each year, and her return, marking the death and rebirth of the growing world.
🔍 This exact reverse type is marked R6 by Varbanov, among the rarer ratings in that reference, and we could only track down one other photographed example in current sale archives.
The same Hades-and-Persephone scene had already appeared on Stobi's coinage under Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus before this issue for Julia Domna, so this coin sits at the tail end of a mythological tradition the mint returned to again and again.
A scarce type, a well-known myth, and a genuinely interesting empress make this one worth a look for provincial or mythological-type collectors.
🔒 Guaranteed genuine ancient. ANA Member #3232457. We stand behind every coin we sell.
📸🔍 Grade is provided to meet 's listing requirements and reflects our opinion as experienced collectors, not a professional third-party certification. Please review all images carefully and judge condition for yourself, as they form part of the description. The coin shown is the exact coin you will receive.
📦 Shipping cost includes insurance.
🔂Return policy. Item must be returned in the same condition as received.
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