weight 17,55gr. | bronze Ø 30mm.
obv. Diademed and draped bust right, surrounded
by the legend SALL BARBIA ORBIANA AVG
rev. Concordia enthroned left, holding patera in right hand and double
cornucopiae in left hand, S C in exergue, surrounded by the legend
CONCORDIA AVGVSTORVM
In 225 AD Julia Mamaea, Severeus Alexander′s powerful mother, arranged the marriage between Severus Alexander and Orbiana. Both had the age of about 16 years. Gnaea Seia Herennia Sallustia Barbia Orbiana was the daughter of Lucius Seius Herennius Sallustius, an influential Roman senator who was later elevated to the rank of Caesar or Praetorian Prefect.
Upon marrying, Orbiana was granted the title of Augusta. This triggered intense jealousy from Julia Mamaea, who was determined to retain total authority over her son and all imperial titles. Mamaea treated the young empress with immense cruelty. Fearing for her safety, Orbiana fled to her father for protection. Her father approached the Praetorian Guard to safeguard her, an act that Mamaea branded as an attempted coup and high treason. In August 227 AD, Orbiana′s father was executed, while Orbiana was stripped of her titles, divorced, and exiled to Libya (North Africa). Severus Alexander reportedly cared for her but was too intimidated by his mother to intervene.
Orbiana was widely celebrated in antiquity for her beauty, which is preserved in several surviving marble busts, including pieces in the Louvre Museum. She is historically significant in numismatics as the only wife of Severus Alexander to be featured on imperial gold, silver, and bronze coinage.
In front of and behind Orbiana′s bust, we see seven small punches. In the later Roman Empire and during the post-Roman migration period, old sestertii were frequently taken out of monetary circulation and repurposed as a Game Piece (Tessera) or Tally Token. Because of their large, heavy, and satisfying circular size, they made perfect game counters or tokens. People would punch a specific number of dots or holes into them (such as seven) to give them a numeric value for board games, voting, or counting tallies. Interesting and rare.
Cohen 4 | RIC 655 | BMC 293 | Sear 8193 R
a rare coin
f+
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