Ulpia Severina Roman Bronze Coin - Empress of Ancient Rome's Reunification Era

Own a Bronze Coin from the Woman Who May Have Ruled the Roman Empire Alone

A real bronze of Ulpia Severina — wife of Aurelian, whose coinage continued after his assassination in AD 275 in what may represent the only instance of a woman exercising sole imperial authority in Rome's history, during the uncertain interregnum before Tacitus claimed the throne. NGC certified.

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👑 Her coinage continued after Aurelian's assassination — numismatic evidence that she may have held imperial authority during the interregnum, making her the only possible female sole ruler of Rome
🏛 Reverse depicts Pietas, Concordia, or Juno — stability, unity, and divine legitimacy projected during one of the most uncertain transitions in Roman imperial history
🤲 A question in metal — struck during the exact moment when who actually governed Rome remains one of ancient history's most debated mysteries. NGC certified.

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

Ulpia Severina was the wife of Aurelian — the Restorer of the World, the emperor who reunited Rome's three fractured pieces and earned perhaps the greatest honorific of the entire Crisis era. As Augusta she appeared on imperial coinage throughout his reign, her draped and diademed portrait projecting the stability of a functioning dynasty in an empire that had known almost none.

In AD 275, Aurelian was assassinated by officers who had been deceived into believing he planned to have them executed — one of the most pointless and tragic deaths of the Crisis era, eliminating Rome's most capable emperor on the basis of a forged document. What happened next is genuinely uncertain. The ancient sources are confused and sometimes contradictory. What the coins tell us is this: Severina's coinage continued after Aurelian's death, during a period when no male emperor had yet been confirmed. The Senate and the army appear to have been negotiating over the succession, and during that negotiation — however brief — Severina's image remained on Rome's currency.

Some historians interpret this as purely ceremonial, a continuation of existing coin types during an administrative gap. Others argue it represents something more — that Severina actively held authority during the interregnum, making her the only woman in Roman history to have exercised sole imperial power, even briefly. The ancient sources don't resolve the question definitively. Her possible connection to the family of Trajan adds another layer of intrigue to a figure who remains one of Rome's most mysterious empresses. Tacitus eventually emerged as emperor, and Severina disappears from the record. This bronze is the evidence that she was there — holding something — in the space between. Certified by NGC.

Perfect for:

• Collectors of late Crisis era, imperial women, and Roman bronze coinage
• History lovers drawn to Ulpia Severina, Aurelian, and Rome's most mysterious interregnum
• Female sole ruler debate, Concordia reverse type, and NGC certified late 3rd century bronze enthusiasts
• Anyone seeking a coin from the most genuinely ambiguous moment of female power in all of Roman history

What You'll Receive

• One authentic bronze of Ulpia Severina
• Denomination: AE Bronze (everyday late 3rd century currency)
• NGC certified for authenticity and preservation
• Struck AD 270–275 and possibly beyond — 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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