Jotapian. Usurper, circa AD 248-249. Antoninianus (20.5mm, 3.21 g, 12h). Nicopolis in Seleucia mint.

CNG Feature Auction 118
Lot: 1143. Estimated: $ 5 000

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 5 500. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Jotapian. Usurper, circa AD 248-249. Antoninianus (20.5mm, 3.21 g, 12h). Nicopolis in Seleucia mint. IMP M F RV IOTAPIANVS, radiate and cuirassed bust right / VIC TORIA AVG, Victory advancing left, holding wreath in right hand and palm frond in left. RIC IV 1 corr. (obv. legend); Bland – (Obv. die I/Rev. die – [unlisted rev. die]); RSC 3 corr. (same). Toned, typical roughness, some encrustation. Near VF. Very rare.

Ex G. Hirsch 300 (24 September 2014), lot 165 (hammer €8,000).

Jotapian led a short-lived revolt in Syria in the autumn of AD 249 while Philip I was still emperor. Little is known of Jotapian’s background. It was said that he boasted of a relationship to Severus Alexander, and his unusual name, although otherwise unknown for a man, is attested in its feminine form "Jotape" in the royal houses of Commagene and Emesa. The extreme rarity of his coins indicates that the revolt was brief, and the crude style proves that the revolt was geographically confined, for Jotapian plainly did not control a major Roman mint. His head was brought to Rome and shown to Trajan Decius "as was customary, although Decius had not asked for it" (Aur. Vict., Caes. 29.4). In his corpus of Jotapian's coins, Bland knew of eighteen genuine antoniniani in total.

The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 118 lots will be determined at the live public sale that will be held on 13-14 September 2021. CNG Feature Auction 118 – Session Four – Roman Imperial Coinage Part 2 through Antiquities will be held Tuesday afternoon, 14 September 2021 beginning at 2:00 PM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 22.50% for all others.

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