Julia Domna Denarius “laetitia” — Certificate Of Authenticity

A silver denarius of Julia Domna, attributed to the mint of Laodicea ad Mare and struck within the AD 198–202 sequence, a type particularly appreciated by collectors of the Severan dynasty because it combines an Augusta portrait with a highly characteristic treatment of the hair (braided waves and a large chignon) and an immediately legible Laetitia reverse, where the standing figure unites a wreath (public joy, civic festivity) with a rudder set on the ground (happy direction, favorable guidance of destiny); the whole corresponds, through concordant legends and composition, to the type listed as RIC IV.1 (Septimius Severus) 641.

Careful observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: the non-invasive examination highlights a well-seated silver strike with a finely ordered portrait relief, in which the hair construction—braided waves drawn back into a substantial chignon—is clearly distinguishable, along with drapery whose folds remain readable on the shoulder; the reverse preserves Laetitia’s full silhouette, the wreath held low in the right hand and the rudder resting on the ground in the left, these two attributes forming the decisive markers of the type and making identification particularly secure in light of the published references.

Authority / status: Julia Domna, Augusta (Septimius Severus era).

Mint: Laodicea ad Mare.

Date: approx. AD 198–202 (type attribution).

Denomination / metal: Denarius, silver (AR).

Diameter / weight: 19 mm; 3.68 g (as stated), within the range usually observed for this Laodicea type.

Obverse (type): IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, with slight frontal orientation, wavy braided hair, developed rear chignon.

Reverse (type): LAETITIA, Laetitia standing, head turned left, wreath lowered in right hand, rudder set on the ground in left hand.

Reference: RIC IV.1 641 (Julia Domna – Laodicea ad Mare – Laetitia).

The denarii of Laodicea ad Mare form a highly sought chapter of Severan coinage, as they disseminate the image of the imperial court in the Roman East through an iconographic vocabulary in which personifications—here Laetitia—express civic prosperity and institutional serenity, and in which the rudder translates, in the symbolic language of coinage, the idea of a happy guidance of the political body, a theme consistent with the public representation of the Augusta and dynastic stability.

For a collection, this type offers a very readable cabinet value, because it provides, in a single specimen, a Severan female portrait immediately recognizable by its hairstyle, and a “speaking” reverse whose attributes (wreath and rudder) make the scene easy to remember; certain collection databases further note a high rarity index for this combination, a factor that enhances select interest without changing the typological clarity of the type.

The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was made via a specialized international transaction, conducted within a recognized numismatic network and validated to the highest standards of the art and heritage market; the attribution is established by comparison with RIC references and with documented sale comparanda bearing the same IVLIA AVGVSTA / LAETITIA pairing and the same arrangement (wreath + rudder).
Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity consistent with the standards of the art and heritage market, the expertise remaining deliberately anchored in material observation and published references, so that the collector’s confidence rests on a strictly verifiable basis.