Ancient Roman Silver Coin of Empress Otacilia Severa (Wife of Emperor Philip I)

Own a Silver Coin from the Empress Who Survived When Her Husband and Son Did Not

A real silver-washed antoninianus of Otacilia Severa — wife of Philip the Arab, empress during Rome's spectacular millennial celebrations, and one of the few imperial women of the Crisis era who was spared execution after her emperor fell in battle. NGC certified.

From $143.00

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👑 Empress during Rome's 1,000th anniversary celebrations of AD 248 — the most spectacular festival in Roman history, held during one of the empire's most unstable eras
🏛 Reverse depicts Concordia, Pudicitia, or traditional Roman feminine virtues — stability and continuity projected by an empress whose dynasty lasted exactly five years
🤲 Struck AD 244–249 — from the aristocratic empress who outlived her husband and son when Trajan Decius showed her the unusual clemency of allowing her to live. NGC certified.

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

Otacilia Severa brought something her husband Philip the Arab desperately needed — aristocratic Roman pedigree. Philip had risen from humble origins in Arabia Petraea through military advancement to the Praetorian Prefecture and then, under circumstances that remained controversial, to the imperial throne itself. His Arab provincial background made Roman traditionalists uneasy. Otacilia's ancient noble lineage provided the dynastic legitimacy that balanced his military origins, and her presence on imperial coinage projected exactly the traditional Roman feminine virtues — Concordia, Pudicitia, stability, continuity — that the Crisis era most urgently needed to project.

Their greatest public moment came in AD 248 — the Ludi Saeculares, Rome's millennial celebration of the city's 1,000th anniversary. The festivities were extraordinary — gladiatorial games of unprecedented scale, exotic animal hunts featuring hippos and rhinoceroses, theatrical performances, and religious ceremonies that filled the city for days. Otacilia stood at the center of those celebrations as Augusta, the first lady of a Rome marking a thousand years of civilization even as that civilization was fracturing around her.

The following year everything collapsed. When Trajan Decius was proclaimed emperor by the Danubian legions and marched on Philip, the battle at Verona in AD 249 killed Philip and — on the same day in Rome — the Praetorian Guard murdered their young son Philip II. Otacilia was neither killed nor imprisoned. Trajan Decius extended to her the unusual clemency of allowing her to retire into private life — a rare act of mercy in an era when imperial family members were routinely eliminated with the emperors they had supported. She disappears from the historical record after 249 AD, her fate in private life unknown. This antoninianus preserves her image from the years of her imperial prominence. Certified by NGC.

Perfect for:

• Collectors of Crisis of the Third Century, imperial women, and Roman silver antoniniani
• History lovers drawn to Otacilia Severa, Philip the Arab, and Rome's millennial celebrations
• Roman empress portrait, Concordia type, and NGC certified silver enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a historically significant piece from an empress who witnessed Rome's greatest birthday and its aftermath

What You'll Receive

• One authentic silver-washed antoninianus of Otacilia Severa
• Denomination: Antoninianus (silver-washed bronze)
• NGC certified for authenticity and preservation
• Struck AD 244–249 — similar to examples shown (each coin is unique)

Buy with Confidence

• Guaranteed authentic ancient coin
• Carefully sourced and verified
• 30-day return policy
• Secure shipping from the U.S.

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