Julia Soaemias Roman Silver Antoninianus (NGC Certified Slab)

Own a certified Roman Silver Antoninianus of Julia Soaemias (AD 218–222), authenticated and slabbed by NGC. This coin offers a rare and dramatic link to one of the most controversial chapters of the Severan dynasty.

Julia Soaemias was the mother of Emperor Elagabalus and a key figure in the powerful Emesan dynasty, alongside her relatives Julia Maesa, Julia Mamaea, and Julia Domna. After the assassination of Emperor Caracalla, she played a central role in securing the imperial throne for her teenage son, Elagabalus, leveraging the influence of her family and the loyalty of the eastern legions.

However, the reign of Elagabalus quickly descended into scandal. His introduction of eastern religious practices, combined with shocking behavior at court, deeply alienated Rome’s military and aristocracy. Julia Soaemias, who had been instrumental in her son’s political career, shared in his unpopularity.

In 222 CE, both Julia Soaemias and Elagabalus were murdered by the Praetorian Guard. Their memory was condemned by damnatio memoriae — their names and images erased from public monuments and official records, making surviving artifacts like this coin even more historically significant.

Silver Antoninianii of Julia Soaemias typically feature her draped and diademed portrait on the obverse, with reverses promoting traditional virtues in an effort to legitimize her son’s rule.

Certified by NGC, this Silver Antoninianus provides collectors a rare surviving link to a woman whose ambition shaped — and ultimately doomed — a critical moment in Roman imperial history.