Thread: New Septimius Severus

I have always wanted a Severus with this neptune reverse. I have lost out on a few but this one popped up from a international vcoins dealer at one heck of a reasonable price. I also fell in love with the portrait, which I think is one of the nicest I have seen of him in awhile.

This is the sellers photo, which was better then mine I attempted. The neptune looks more detailed in-hand.


Septimius Severus (193-211 AD)
AR Denarius
O: SEVERVS - PIVS AVG, Laureate head right.
R: PM TRP XVII - COS III PP, Neptune standing left, leaning on raised right leg set on rocks and holding trident.
Rome, 209 AD
18mm
3.2g
RIC 228 / Cohen 529/BMCRE 003

Wow! That's an excellent portrait. I wonder what (if any) the meaning of the reverse refers to like the Titus denarius. Very cool addition

Good question. Neptune could be a sea voyage or earthquake protection. This was about the time SS was going to Britain but I don't know a specific link to wanting to honor Neptune.

Good question. Neptune could be a sea voyage or earthquake protection. This was about the time SS was going to Britain but I don't know a specific link to wanting to honor Neptune.

Originally Posted by dougsmit

Good question. Neptune could be a sea voyage or earthquake protection. This was about the time SS was going to Britain but I don't know a specific link to wanting to honor Neptune.

Yeah, I keep forgetting Neptune was the God of earthquakes as well. I know the whole region is susceptible to them.

Very nice portrait Mat. When I first looked at it I was thinking Eastern mint since it was nice style. However, at least Rome at the time in the west still had skilled engravers.

Chris

Another nice one, Mat.

Septimius Severus must have been quite a sight to behold with that 2 (or 3) pointed beard of his.

I have become more interested in his coinage lately, specially the legionary issues. Not easy to find them though.

Mat, Do you still have your pic you took? I'm curious to see.

Interesting factoid about Neptune's association with earthquakes--I had not read that before.
It makes total sense in the Mediterranean context, as rough seas, even tsunamis, could follow offshore quakes.
Nice centering and portrait style on the coin!

Originally Posted by Eduard

Septimius Severus must have been quite a sight to behold with that 2 (or 3) pointed beard of his.

I have become more interested in his coinage lately, specially the legionary issues. Not easy to find them though.

I have long specialized in Septimius but have relatively few of him with that extreme three pointed beard. They did not come out in full glory until later in the reign and I was always more interested in the earlier coins when his beard was less styled and more ragged. There are some of the legionaries where you see a start of the three curls but they were not as long and separate as later was shown. Oddly about the most three pointed is the more common die used with the rare legion XXII PRI. Recently I became aware of a second obverse die used with that legion (from only one coin) and it was not tripled. I always wondered at the extreme variation on Septimius portraits from 193 AD. Later they became more standardized.

http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/legions.html