New sestertius, since they are in trend

[ambr0zie]

The most recent I had went extremely well (with one exception - a coin where I gambled, being 50% sure it has bronze disease, and I lost .... unfortunately a small part close to the edge got disintegrated while travelling 😕 still a good sestertius, but...)

Anyway that was not the only sestertius from the package. This was a bid more like a shot in the dark as I was expecting some competition, but to my surprise it was very unpopular and the hammer price was smaller than for a denarius of the same ruler (a denarius in modest condition). 

So I present my new septimius from Sestertius Severus ... sorry my new severus from Septimius Sestertius ... argh ... you got my point. 

26 mm, 18,56 g.
Septimius Severus 193-211. Æ sestertius. Rome. 194 AD.
L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP III, head of Septimius Severus, laureate, with drapery on left shoulder, right / VIRT AVG TR P COS S C, Virtus, helmeted, draped, standing left, holding Victory in extended right hand and spear in left hand.
Cf. RIC IV 673 (no variety known with laureate AND draped head).

Septimius Severus is popular among collectors because his coins are abundant, with nice designs and, of course, everybody like his portrait, with the heavy metal beard. 

Rare image of the emperor celebrating the defeat of Clodius Albinus, circa 197 AD, colorized  

Septimius Severus is not a difficult emperor to add in a collection. Before this coin I had 11 with his portrait, 8 denarii and 3 provincials. Without concentrating too much on Severans. However, my previous attempts to get a sestertius failed - usually the examples I saw available were in worse condition and with generous prices. My example is not extraordinary and it has a very small flan, but this did not bother me since I was able to attribute it. Also it is very interesting that it is an unknown variety for the portrait. 

The coin pairs well with the Julia Domna sestertius I have:

30 mm, 25,51 g.
Julia Domna. Augusta 193-217. Ӕ sestertius. Rome. 193-196.
IVLIA DOMNA AVG, bust of Julia Domna, hair waved and coiled at back, draped, right / VENERI VICTR S C, Venus, naked to waist, standing left, holding apple in extended right hand and palm sloped over left shoulder in left hand, resting left elbow on column.
RIC IV Septimius Severus 842; Cohen 195; BMC 488.

Highlights from my Septimius Severus coins:

17 mm, 2,46 g.
Moesia Inferior, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Septimius Severus AD 193-211. Ӕ.
A K CE - [CEVHROC], laureate head r. / NIKo - PROC IC, bearded head of Heracles r.
Ref. a) not in AMNG b) not in Varbanov c) Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2020) 8.14.14.44 corr. (same dies, writes NIK - PROC IC in error, but the depicted coin is very worn).
Hristova/Hoeft/Jekov (2021) under No. 8.14.14.46 (this coin) - possibly the best know example for the type 

One of my favorite coins in my collection:

28 mm, 11,42 g.
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis. Septimius Severus, with Julia Domna 193-211 AD. Pentassarion Æ. 210-211. Flavius Ulpianus, legatus consularis. AV K Λ CEΠ CEYHΡOC IOYΛIA ΔOMNA CEB, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus and draped bust of Julia Domna facing one another / ΥΦΛ ΟΥΛΠΙΑΝΟΥ ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ, Tyche standing left, holding rudder and cornucopia; Є (mark of value) to left.
H&J, Marcianopolis 6.15.35.4; AMNG I 601; Varbanov 868; Moushmov 411.

A coin I liked as it shows Neptune:

19 mm, 2,8 g.
Septimius Severus 193-211. AR denarius. Rome. 209.
SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head of Septimius Severus right / P M TR P XVIII COS III P P, Neptune standing left, leaning on raised right leg set on rocks and holding trident in left hand.
BMC 3; RSC 529; RIC 228.

A denarius with an elephant, celebrating the victory over Clodius Albinus in 197 AD. Septimius Severus organized public games in Rome. 

19,4 mm, 2,7 g.
Septimius Severus 193-211. AR denarius. Rome. 197.
L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIIII, laureate head right / MVNIFICENTIA AVG, elephant, cuirassed, advancing right.
RIC 100; BMCRE 168; RSC 349.

The biography for this emperor is well known. He was born in Leptis Magna (now in Libya), a member of an equestrian family. He had Italian and Punic ancestry. He was the first provincial emperor - not only born in the provinces but also into a provincial family of non-Italian origin. He spoke the local Punic language fluently, but he was also educated in Latin and Greek, which he spoke with a slight accent even when he was old. According to the Historia Augusta, the emperor had a sister who spoke no Latin at all (or at least spoke it very poorly). Septimius seems to have been quite ashamed of her.

He rised through ranks - at a slow but steady pace. During the reign of Marcus Aurelius he started his career - overseeing road maintenance in or near the city, and he may have appeared in court as an advocate. In 169 he became a quaestor and was oficially enrolled in the Senate. 

In 173, Severus' cousin Gaius Septimius Severus was appointed proconsul of the province of Africa Proconsularis and chose Severus as one of his two legati pro praetore, a senior military appointment. Following the end of this term, Septimius Severus returned to Rome, taking up office as tribune of the plebs, a senior legislative position, with the distinction of being the candidatus of the emperor.

Septimius married a lady - Paccia Marciana - from his home town in 175 but she died of natural causes in 186, without heirs. In this period, Septimius Severus was interested in prophecies/horoscopes and he heard of a woman in Syria of whom it had been foretold that she would marry a king. The woman was Julia Domna and the two of them founded the Severan dynasty that lasted until the year 235. 

It was the end of the reign of Commodus. In 191 Septimius Severus was named governor of Pannonia Superior. The year of the 5 emperors was about to start. In 192 (31st of December) Commodus was murdered and Pertinax gained the throne, for 3 months, as he was killed by the Praetorian Guard. Septimius Severus was claimed emperor by his legions and marched towards Rome. In the meatime, the throne was bought (literally) by Didius Julianus - who soon lost all support from Senate and the Praetorian Guard. He tried to negociate with Septimius Severus but he was ignored. Didius Julianus was killed and Septimius gained Rome without opposition.

The next obstacle was Pescennius Niger, who was proclaimed emperor by the Syrian legions. Septimius defeated him too in 194 AD - the battle of Issus. And the last one was Clodius Albinus, who was Septimius' caesar. In 196 Septimius Severus named Caracalla, his son, as caesar and this made Clodius Albinus realize he had nothing to lose, proclaimed himself emperor and set Lugdunum as headquarters. in 197 AD Septimius defeated him and finally secured the throne. 

His reign brought a (relative) political stability in Rome, after the ambiguous situation in the year of 5 emperors. Plus the general corruption and chaos from the reign of Commodus. He never had good relations with the Senate, but he was popular with the people. 

He died in 211 and wanted his sons, Caracalla and Geta, to have a joint peaceful reign, under the supervision of Julia Domna. Things did not go well in this part, but this is another story. 

Please post

- Severan bronzes 

- coins of Septimius Severus

- coins with small flans

- everything you find relevant. 

[hotwheelsearl]

Small flan: an official-seeming DIVO CLAVDIO on a TINY flan.

 

Coin of Severus: a common caesarean issue, this time with a bird underneath the altar holding the Mt. Argaeus agalma, but an technicolor patina, showing both the underlying bronze, a dark blackish natural patina, some malachite, and some azurite.

 

 

 

 

[Qcumbor]

My Septimius Severus denarius, celebrating Victory over the Britts, and first silver coin in my ancient coin collection (1983)

Septimius Severus, Denarius - Rome mint, 210 CE
SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, Laureate head of Sevrus right
VICTORIAE BRIT, Victory facing, holding palm and attaching shield to palm tree
2.72 gr
Ref : RCV #6384, Cohen #729

Q

[Al Kowsky]

Here are 3 Severus coins I haven't posted in a while ☺️.

              

 

[Amarmur]

I have no Septimius Severus Sestertii but I have this beautiful Marcus Aurelius Sestertius that I got recently. Sestertii in high grade are so nice.

[Ryro]

Beauuuuuutiful Sestertius!!! I love the big bronzes. 

Septimius Severus was a war a militaristic genius and doesn't get enough credit for saving the empire that could've easily fractured.

That Domna is, as my French friends say, ooh,la,la!

Here's a couple of mine:

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Severus traveling to Britain denarius calling on Neptune for fair seas...

 

 

 

Also a fairly recent addition is this Clodius Albinus sestertius...one of the pretenders, others being Pescennius Niger and Didius Julianus who followed the short reign of the highly regarded, but unlucky, Pertinax

Edited August 13 by Ancient Coin Hunter

[GERMANICVS]

My small collection of coins of Septimius Severus and His Wife, Julia Domna.

 

As issued to commemorate Severus" victories in the far northern confines of the empire, Britannia.

I specially like Severus"s Legionary denarii. 

 

 

Edited August 13 by GERMANICVS
Grammar...

[Roman Collector]

I have more provincial coins of Septimius Severus than imperial ones, but this imperial denarius has my favorite portrait.

Septimius Severus, 193-211 CE.
Roman AR Denarius, 3.26 g, 19.7mm, 1 h.
Rome, 202 CE.
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head, right.
Rev: PART MAX PM TRP X COS III PP, trophy, with captives seated left and right at base.
Refs: RIC 185; BMCRE 385-87; Cohen 375; RCV 6323; Hill 550.