Ancient Roman Empire: silver denarius of Septimius Severus, "Dea Caelestis" type, ca. 193-211 AD

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Septimius Severus is a popular guy around here today!

 

Wow, that's a very cool reverse ... I love that coin-type

=> Lord, congrats on scoring that fine OP-winner

 

I like the lion rider.

I think the cracked flan would bother me, though.

 

Seems that way, doesn't it. This series is one of the neatest put out under SS.

 

I agree, but I kept missing out on that type...so I grabbed this one for the time being:

 

Very nice OP coin.

 

The nearest I would show is a fake Geta bearing that reverse that I bought years ago. I don't have a picture though

Good score, again
Q

 

Nice coins everyone. I love the reverse on these types

 

Wow Ajax, is that your sweet coin? (it's a winner as well)

 

Sure is. One of my favourites

 

Very nice. The Severans issued many coins depicting Cybele, such as the MATER DEVM and MATRI DEVM types of Domna and various provincial issues.


Julia Domna, issued under Septimius Severus
Roman AR Denarius
Rome mint, AD 198
3.43 gm; 18.8 mm
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele enthroned l., flanked by two lions, holding a branch and scepter, resting on drum.
RIC 564; Sear 6593; BMCRE 51; Hill 340


Julia Domna, issued under Caracalla
Roman AR Denarius
Rome mint, AD 212
3.05 gm; 19.15 mm
Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: MATRI DEVM, Cybele standing l., holding drum and scepter, leaning on column, lion at feet.
RIC 382; Sear 7104; BMCRE 14; Hill1329


Thrace, Anchialus
Roman provincial AE
10.7 gm; 27.2 mm
Obv: ΑV Κ Λ CΕΠ CΕVΗΡΟC, laureate and cuirassed bust, r.
Rev: ΟVΛΠΙΑΝΩΝ ΑΓΧΙΑΛΕΩΝ, Cybele seated l., arm resting on drum, r. hand holding patera, two lions at her feet.
Mousmov 2817

 

Congrats on the new coin, LordM. I like the reverse type and have one of a young Caracalla still from my old collecting habits.

 

Note that Carthago's Caracalla rider is looking straight at you while the others show her looking where the lion is going. There are several minor variations of these. Below is the one with a drum in place of the thunderbolt. She also is looking at you.

 

The fact the goddess is portrayed with a lion, a scepter, and a drum--all very characteristic accoutrements of Cybele--is why I am convinced the goddess here portrayed is Cybele.

 

Curious, how big is your Ancient collection @Ajax. For some reason, I thought your holdings were small and that you just got into Ancients. Am I making things up again. My doctor says for me to take some pills when I do.

 

I started collecting ancients in March and I've kinda been going crazy nothing really too expensive though. I've got around 50ish coins anywhere from 10 to 200 dollars. Man these ancients are addicting

 

I'm sure some conflation was going on at this time, especially given how similarly the goddesses were depicted, but Dea Caelestis, in her original form as the Punic Tanit, was a lion goddess as well. After the conquest of Carthage by the Romans, Dea Caelestis would remain synonymous with that city, which is probably why we have her named as such by scholars on these IN CARTH coins.

On the other hand, the worship of the Phrygian Cybele was originally brought to Rome during the Second Punic War, on instruction of the Sybilline oracles, for her divine assistance against the Carthaginians with their Tanit.

Centuries later, under a Roman emperor of North African extraction, Cybele, Tanit; and numerous other foreign deities, were free to mix and get cosy with each other .