Ur'bica, Ma'gnia
A considerable number of coins are extant in all the three metals, which exhibit on the obverse a female head with the legend MAGNIA (s. MAGN.) URBICA AUG., or, MAGNIAE URBICAE AUG., and on the reverse PUDICITIA AUG., with a woman seated and two boys standing by her side, or some of the ordinary types characteristic of the Augustae. To what epoch these medals ought to be assigned, has been a subject of lively controversy among numismatologists.
By some they are believed to belong to the age of Maxentius, and Patin has pronounced that Jrbica was his wife; others, again, maintain that she was married to Carus, while Stosch asserted that she was one of the numerous consorts of Carinus, bringing forward in support of this opinion a third brass, bearing on the obverse a male head with the words IMP. CARINUS AUG., and on the reverse the head of Urbica with MAGNIA URBICA AUG. If this piece were genuine it would at least establish the fact that Urbica was closely connected with the family of Carus; but unfortunately there is great reason to believe that it is a modern forgery, and consequently we are still left without sure information concerning an empress who is not named by any historian. (See Eckhel, vol. vii. p. 517.)
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W.R]
