Herennia Etruscilla. Augusta, AD 249-251. Æ Double Sestertius (34mm, 28.11 g, 12h). Rome mint, 6th officina. 3rd emission of Trajan Decius, early-mid AD 250. VF.

CNG Feature Auction 132
Lot: 831. Estimated: $ 2 000

Roman Imperial, Bronze, Coin-in-Hand Video

Sold For $ 2 250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Herennia Etruscilla. Augusta, AD 249-251. Æ Double Sestertius (34mm, 28.11 g, 12h). Rome mint, 6th officina. 3rd emission of Trajan Decius, early-mid AD 250. Draped bust right, wearing stephane, set on crescent / Pudicitia seated left on throne, drawing veil and holding transverse scepter. RIC IV 136a (same rev. die as illustration on pl. 12; Decius); Banti 6. Dark brown-green patina with some red, smoothing and some tooling. VF. Rare.

Ex John Wright Collection; Peus 277 (25 October 1971), lot 325; J.F. Collection (Vinchon, 22 February 1971), lot 500; Vierordt Collection (Part I, J. Schulman, 5 March 1923), lot 2254.

As with most third century Roman empresses, little is known about Herennia Cupressennia Etruscilla, wife of Trajan Decius. Her name (Cupressennia appears on her provincial coins, not on Roman issues) indicates her family was of Etruscan origin, and some historians have concluded that it was through her ancestral titles that her husband Decius, of humble provincial origins, was able to enter the Senate and ultimately achieve the throne. The names of their sons, Herennius Estruscus and Hostilian, suggest the couple revered her family’s ancestry. After the deaths of Decius and Herennius in battle, Herennia Etruscilla continued to bear the title of Augusta and apparently served as regent for the adolescent Hostilian for some months until his death of the plague in November of AD 251, after which she retired into obscurity.

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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