Julia Paula. Augusta, AD 219-220. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 22.97 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck under Elagabalus, AD 220. VF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 817. Estimated: $ 1 000

Roman Imperial, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 3 000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Julia Paula. Augusta, AD 219-220. Æ Sestertius (30mm, 22.97 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck under Elagabalus, AD 220. Draped bust right, wearing stephane / Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopia; star to left. RIC IV 381 (Elagabalus); Thirion 459; Banti 7. Olive and brown patina with traces of red. VF. Rare.

Ex John Wright Collection; Tony Hardy Collection (Classical Numismatic Group 67, 22 September 2004), lot 1641.

Julia Cornelia Paula was the daughter of Julius Paulus, Praetorian prefect and a member of one of Rome's most influential families. When 14-year-old Elagabalus seized the throne in AD 218, his grandmother Julia Maesa, the real power behind the throne, decided he must marry quickly to cement ties with Rome's ruling classes. Maesa chose Julia Paula, likely about 20 years of age, to be her grandson's mate and empress. The wedding in mid AD 219 was accompanied by the appropriate pomp and games, but the new emperor, later known as Elagabalus, was high priest of a Syrian sun cult whose ways were quite alien to Rome. Moreover, his sexual preference tended toward males and he took no interest in his new wife. The marriage quickly disintegrated within a year and the couple quietly divorced in mid-AD 220. Julia Paula's fate after her brief stint as empress is unknown.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.

CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session Three – Lot 588-888 will be held Tuesday morning, 19 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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