Orbiana, wife of Severus Alexander Sestertius Rome circa 225, Æ

Orbiana, wife of Severus Alexander Sestertius Rome circa 225, Æ 27.00 mm., 19.88 g.
Diademed and draped bust r. Rev. CONCORDIA AVGVSTORVM S. Alexander and Orbiana clasping hands. C 6. RIC S. Alexander 657. Mazzini 6 (this coin illustrated).

Very rare. Light green patina with some minor marks, otherwise Good Very Fine

From the Mazzini collection. Ex NAC sale Q, 2006, 1973, NAC sale 78, 2014, 2355.

This remarkable sestertius was struck as an ancient commemorative piece to celebrate the marriage of Severus Alexander to Sallustia Orbiana in 225 and may have been distributed as largesse in the public festivities surrounding the wedding. The happy imperial couple, brought together by a political alliance between Alexander's powerful mother, Julia Mamaea, and the Orbiana's father, the senator L. Seius Herennius Sallustius, are depicted on the reverse clasping hands. Unfortunately, despite the joyful moment captured on this coin, the marriage of Alexander and Orbiana quickly descended into tragedy. While Alexander appears to have genuinely cared for Orbiana, Mamaea, accustomed to exercising power as sole Augusta, came to resent the new Augusta. She therefore became the stereotype of the wicket mother-in-law and took to abusing both Orbiana and Sallustius to vent her anger. Severus Alexander, who had been a puppet of his mother for most of his life, did nothing. At last, the cruelty of Julia Mamaea became so severe that Orbiana and Sallustius took refuge in the camp of the Praetorian Guard. Mamaea responded by presenting this development as an attempt by Sallustius to overthrow Alexander (in fairness, the Praetorians did have a record for that sort of thing) and ordered his execution in 227. Once Sallustius was disgraced and dead, Alexander was compelled to divorce Orbiana and sent her into exile as a private citizen in distant Libya. It may have been a fairy-tale wedding for Alexander and Orbiana, but no one involved seems to have lived happily ever after.