No 632 - Roman Gold Aureus of Didius Julianus

This reproduction has been produced with a thicker flan than the original.

This is a copy of an extremely rare gold coin. It shows the emperor facing right and the legend ‘IMP CAES M DID IVLIAN AVG’

The reverse shows Fortune standing left with the legend ‘PM TR P COS’.

It is a part of the human experience that often, we covet something so much that we are willing to pay any price asked to obtain it, even to the selling of our own principles. Once we obtain the object that we covet so highly, we find that all we have done is bring great misfortune upon ourselves and paid a healthy price for it. So it was with the rich senator Didius Julianus who lusted after being Roman Emperor. He paid 25,000 sestertii to each Praetorian Guardsman for the privilege and signed his own death warrant without realizing it.

The Praetorian Guard had murdered the previous emperor, Pertinax, whose only crime had been to try to establish discipline in an army which had grown soft and arrogant, always expecting bonuses and extra privileges. After this treacherous deed, they auctioned off the throne. In the spirited bidding between City Prefect Titus Flavius Sulpicianus and Didius Julianus, Julianus won the throne with his 25,000 sestertii bid.

Upon hearing of this farce, two imperial generals rebelled and marched on Rome, intent on erasing this shameful mistake. In the east, Pescennius Niger, was proclaimed emperor. Meanwhile Septimius Severus was proclaimed emperor in the west. Within sixteen days of having bought the throne, Didius Julianus' fate was sealed. He would live only as long as it took the quickest of these experienced generals to reach Rome.

The Senate quickly renounced Didius Julianus and proclaimed Septimius Severus emperor. The emperor' luck had finally run out and he was led to a private room in the palace baths for execution They quickly ended his life by beheading him.

Price is &pound2.75 plus postage