Roman Imperial Coinage, Severus Alexander and Julia Mamæa, bronze medal of 2 Sestertii, Rome, c. 230, laureate and draped bust of Alexander and draped bust of Mamæa wearing stephane vis-à-vis, imp sev alexander avg ivlia mamaea avg, mater avg below, rev. aeqvitas avgvsti, three Monetæ standing left, each holding scales and cornucopiæ; at their feet, three piles of coins, 35mm, 44.36g (cf. RIC 316 (silver); C 3; Gnecchi II, p.816). Obverse very fine, reverse about extremely fine, very rare and an impressive piece £7,000-9,000

This lot was sold as part of a special collection, A Distinguished Collection of Roman Bronze Coins, the Property of a Gentleman.

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Provenance: H.D. Weber Collection, Jacob Hirsch Auction 24 (Munich), 10 May 1909; L. Vierordt Collection, Jacques Schulman Auction 139 (Amsterdam), 5 March 1923, lot 2065; Sir Arthur Evans Collection, Ars Classica Auction XVII (Lucerne), 3 October 1934, lot 1631; bt Spink February 1940.

To afford divine protection to the production of coinage, the mint was originally set up in the Temple of Juno Moneta in the citadel on the Capitoline Hill overlooking the Forum. From the second century, the personification of the goddess becomes threefold, perhaps representing production in gold, silver and bronze or even the multiple aspects of finance, money and coinage