CAESAR MARCVS AVRELIVS SEVERVS ALEXANDER AVGVSTVS

There is something about SEVERVS ALEXANDER that intrigues me!
Severus Alexander AE Sestertius. 232 AD. IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / MARS VLTOR S-C, Mars walking right, holding spear and shield. RIC 635d; Cohen 169, BMC 843. 27mm 14.2 grams

Thanks for looking

 

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One of my favorite coins:

SEVERUS ALEXANDER
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: P M TR P X COS III P P, Sol, radiate. standing left with raised hand and globe
Struck at Rome, 231 AD
3.4g, 20mm
RIC 109

 

Here's a sestertius of his in my collection. It's one of my favorite Severus Alexander coins:


Severus Alexander, AD 222-235.
Roman Æ sestertius; 21.72 gm, 28.4 mm, 1 h.
Rome, special issue to commemorate the emperor's third consulship, AD 229.
Obv: IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, Laureate head right; slight drapery on left shoulder.
Rev: P M TR P VIII COS III P P S C, Libertas standing left, holding pileus and scepter.
Refs: RIC 492; BMCRE 570-72; Cohen 372; RCV 7996.
Notes: Die break affects S on reverse.

 

o, yeah!..nice big o chunk o coin..i have a couple smaller bronzes of him from Cappadocia when i was on the Mt. Argaeus kick

 

..that's a dandy RC...

 

And what is it you're intrigued about ?









Q

 

For a short time some of the Alexandrian tetradrachms of SA were struck at Rome. These are easy to spot by style and the date number being spelled out.


Compare to a normal Alexandrian style from one year earlier.

 

Fans of larger bronzes have several to consider from Severus Alexander provincials.
AE30 Neocaesarea, Pontis / Prize urns on table year 171 2nd Neocorate


AE33 Antioch, Pisidia

 

Some more denarii

 

I like this one the most, mainly due to the fantastic toning which is super difficult to capture with my current photo techniques.

 

SEVERUS ALEXANDER:


RI Severus Alexander 222-235 CE AR Denarius laureate Victory stndg



RI Fouree Denarius Severus Alexander with Annona Avg reverse

 

Very Nice

 

Rare provincial coins of Severus Alexander can be had for peanuts. The coin pictured below I sold at a Heritage auction for the paltry price of $79.00, including buyers premium .


Antioch, Syria, Severus Alexander, AD 222-235, AE 8 assaria: 19.88 gm, 31 mm, McAlee 831a, (this coin pictured). Very Rare.

 

And if you're a bottom-feeder like me, you can get Alexander Severus provincials even cheaper (and not nearly as nice as Al's) - this from an undescribed eBay lot (I think mine is McAlee 825c - note the unbroken legends):



Severus Alexander Æ 31
Syria, Antioch ad Orontem
(222-235 A.D.)
[AYT K] M AY CЄO AΛЄΞANΔPOC CЄB Laureate, draped and cuirassed right / [ANTIOXЄΩ]N MHT KO / Δ - Є / S - C, Tyche seated left on rock, holding grain
ears, ram above, Orontes below.
McAlee 825c.
(14.22 grams / 31 mm)

 

Rare coins that are not available in highest grades don't appeal to people who recently moved into ancients from supergraded moderns. Those who find them appealing tend not to sell them as often as speculators so they can be harder to find for their fans. I consider the Antioch a wonderful coin in many respects and hope the $79 buyer appreciates it for more than its bargain status.

 

When I first collected ancients 30+ years ago, I was far more selective in what I would buy (and paid a lot more). The past couple of years, however, I find that condition doesn't matter nearly as much.

Not sure why this is exactly - a preference for ruins? I think the Venus de Milo would not be improved if they find her arms. Price is a consideration too - I have more fun with a scruffy lot of unidentified ancients than I do with something attributed (and most of the nice stuff gets attributed because it is worth it for the dealers to do so).

Here are two Imperial Severus Alexanders I got recently - the as is in horrible condition, but I really like how the colors and damage combine - to me it is very attractive. I doubt this would be a universal opinion!



Severus Alexander Æ As
(224 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[IMP C]AES M AVR SEV ALEXAN[DER AVG], laureate, draped bust right / PONTIF
MAX TR P III [COS] PP, S-C, Providentia standing left, on col. wand over globe & cornucopiae.
RIC 416; Sear 8094; Cohen 472.
(8.90 grams / 24 x 21 mm)



Severus Alexander Æ Sestertius
Rome Mint
(231-235 A.D.)
IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG laureate bust rt., draped far shoulder / PROVIDENTIA
AVG, S-C, Providentia draped standing left by modius, holding grain ears and cornucopiae.
RIC 642b; Cohen 503.
(24.06 grams / 30 mm)

 

My Sestertius features a rather realistic portrait of young Severus Alexander:

 

Some great looking coins in this thread!
I only have one little denarius of him...

Severus Alexander. 222-235 AD. AR Denarius (2.89 gm, 20mm). Rome mint. Struck 228 AD.
Obv.: IMP SEV ALE-XAND AVG, laureate head right.
Rev.: PM TRPVII COSII PP , Mars standing right, holding shield and spear.
RIC IV 83;

 

Here's a Mount Argaeus one ...


Severus Alexander, AD 222-235.
Roman Provincial AE 25.0 mm, 10.37 g.
Cappadocia, Caesarea, AD 222/3.
Obv: ΑV Κ Μ ΑVΡ ϹЄΟΥ ΑΛЄΞΑΝΔΡ, laureate head, right; uncertain c/m behind.
Rev: ΜΗΤΡΟΠ ΚΑΙϹΑΡΙ, agalma of Mount Argaeus surmounted by star, atop altar inscribed ЄTA (= year 1).
Refs: RPC VI 6735; Sydenham 537-38; BMC 298; SNG von Aul 6510.

 

I have a soft spot for his coinage. Oddly enough my last purchases last year included some of him as have my first purchases of this year.....

I closed out last year with a couple of ordinary Alexandrian Tets.



I am still awaiting my newest coin of his.

My First ever ancient was of him:-



Then I discovered his coinage from Antioch



And found it hard to resist the occasional Sestertius