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| Classical Numismatic Group > Auction 40 | Auction date: 4 December 1996 |
| Lot number: 1401 | |
| Lot description: POPPAEA SABINA, wife of Nero. Struck 64-65 AD. Orichalcum Dupondius (13.16 gm). Uncertain Imperial mint. POPPAEA AVGVSTA, draped bust of Poppaea left wearing stephane / SECVRITA AV[G]VSTI, S-C across field, Securitas seated right, head resting on right hand, holding short sceptre in left, garlanded and lighted altar before; II in exergue. RIC -; BMCRE -; Hunter -; RPC -. EF, choice green patina under light encrustation. Unique and totally Unpublished! [See color plate]. ($25,000) Poppaea Sabina, a woman of high birth and rare beauty, was the daughter of T. Ollius and was named after her maternal grandfather C. Poppaeus Sabinus, governor of Moesia from 12-35 AD. Poppaea's first husband Rufrius Crispinus was prefect of the praetorians under Claudius and her second husband was the future emperor Otho. In 58, Nero fell in love with Poppaea and promptly removed Otho from the scene by appointing him governor of Lusitania. Nero, though, was not free to marry Poppaea since he was already married to Octavia, daughter of Claudius, and Nero's claim to the throne was partially based on his ties to the Claudian line through his wife. Finally in 62, Nero felt secure enough in his position (he had removed his other rivals) to divorce Octavia and marry Poppaea, who was possibly already pregnant. Poppaea bore Nero a daughter in 63, Julia, and both mother and daughter received the title of Augusta, although the child died four months later. In 65, Poppaea was again pregnant, but she died before child birth, apparently from a kick in the stomach Nero gave her in a temper tantrum. Nero grieved heavily over the death of his wife and possible heir to the throne. Poppaea was given an extravagant state funeral and was deified. NEW PARAGRAPH. Until now, no Imperial coinage of Poppaea was known to exist, though there is no reason for it not to exist. Provincial coinage is known for Poppaea from the following mints: Perinthus, Nicaea, Thyatira, Magnesia-ad-Sipylum, Smyrna, Ephesus, Laodicea, Ancyra, Acmonea, Iconium, Galatia, Antioch, and Alexandria, and in all but two cases (Perinthus and Acmonea) she is shown in conjunction with Nero. Mint attribution for this coin is not certain, though the latin legend, weight, style, reverse type and denomination mark all identify this coin as an imperial issue as opposed to a provincial issue. The Securitas reverse was introduced by Nero and was struck at both Rome and Lugdunum, the denomination mark was used at both of these mints, and the style of the portrait and reverse is superior to that of the imperial mint in the Balkans. The patina though is more consistent with Balkan finds (the find spot of this coin is not known) than with Italian or other western finds. Proper mint identification will have to await until more, documented coins of this type are found. |  |
