Ulpia Severina Roman AE (AD 270–275) NGC

Own a certified Roman bronze AE of Ulpia Severina (AD 270–275), authenticated and slabbed by NGC. This coin offers a rare connection to one of the most enigmatic and fascinating women of the Roman imperial era.

Ulpia Severina was the wife of Emperor Aurelian, one of Rome’s greatest soldier-emperors, who reunited the fragmented empire during the Crisis of the Third Century. Though little is known about Severina’s life, her name suggests she may have descended from the same gens as the great Emperor Trajan — a possible link to one of Rome’s most respected dynasties.

Historical records of Severina are sparse. Aside from a brief mention in the Historia Augusta, she receives no significant attention in surviving literary sources. However, her legacy endures through her coinage, which is unusually abundant and widespread for an empress.

Most intriguing is the numismatic evidence suggesting that Ulpia Severina may have ruled the empire in her own name for several months after Aurelian’s assassination in 275 AD — a period before the succession of Tacitus. If true, this would make her the only woman in Roman history to govern the entire empire alone, albeit briefly.

Bronze AE coins of Ulpia Severina typically feature her diademed and draped bust on the obverse, with reverses celebrating imperial virtues such as Concordia, Pax, or Aeternitas — themes that underscored both continuity and legitimacy during a fragile transition of power.

Certified by NGC, this AE coin offers collectors a rare glimpse into a possible female reign at the height of Roman imperial authority.