IOTAPIAN - Antoninian Victory of the greatest rarity! (F2552)

The Roman Imperial Coinage features an Antoninianus of Iotapian, struck between 248 and 249 AD in Nicopolis, Seleucia. The obverse bears the inscription IMP M F RV IOTAPIANVS and depicts a radiate bust facing right. The reverse reads VIC - TORI AVG V (sic) and shows Victoria striding left, holding a wreath in her right hand and a palm branch resting on her left shoulder. The coin measures 22.4 mm in diameter and weighs 4.13 g. It is referenced as RIC 1 (with corrected legends on both sides) and Cohen 2. This piece is extremely rare, with scratches on both the obverse and reverse, and a graffito "X" marked on Victoria’s chest. Despite these flaws, it is in very fine condition and stands out as an exceptionally well-preserved specimen for this rare issue, which was struck in a low-grade silver alloy. 

Jotapian led a short-lived revolt in Syria in the autumn of AD 249 while Philip I was still emperor. Little is known of Jotapian’s background. It was said that he boasted of a relationship to Severus Alexander, and his unusual name, although otherwise unknown for a man, is attested in its feminine form "Jotape" in the royal houses of Commagene and Emesa. The extreme rarity of his coins indicates that the revolt was brief, and the crude style proves that the revolt was geographically confined, for Jotapian plainly did not control a major Roman mint. His head was brought to Rome and shown to Trajan Decius "as was customary, although Decius had not asked for it" (Aur. Vict., Caes. 29.4). There are only 69 coins of this usurper in total, thus missing in almost every collection.