Cornelia Supera, Augusta, 253. Antoninianus (Silver, 21 mm, 3.13 g, 12 h), Rome. COR SVPERA AVG Diademed and draped bust of Cornelia Supera set to right on crescent. Rev. IVNONI AVG Juno seated left, holding flower in her right hand and infant cradled in her left. Cohen 3. RIC 31. Extremely rare. A beautiful example of this very difficult issue. Areas of weakness, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.


For many emperors and would-be emperors of the 3rd century, we know almost nothing about their lives and accomplishments, aside from their coins or scant literary references. Even less is usually known about their wives. Such is the case with Cornelia Supera, the wife of Aemilian, who ruled for a mere three months in 253. Most likely, Cornelia joined her husband as he defeated Trebonianus Gallus in Italy, but soon the tide turned against the imperial couple when Valerian claimed the purple at the Rhine frontier and headed towards Rome with a considerable force. Aemilian’s men, believing the situation hopeless, turned on their commander and killed him at Spoletium. It is unclear whether Cornelia Supera shared her husband’s fate or if Valerian spared her; her coins after all are the only testament to her existence.