[ancients] Happy Birthday Lucius Verus!!

Lucius Verus Denarius
Obv:– L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, Laureate head right
Rev:– TR P VII IMP IIII COS III, Victory walking left holding wreath and palm
Minted in Rome.
Reference:– RIC 574. RSC 295.

Weight 3.32g. 18.85mm

 

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Lucius Verus Denarius
Obv:– L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, Laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder
Rev:– TR P IIII IMP II COS II, Mars standing right holding a spear resting left hand on shield
Minted in Rome. Dec. A.D. 163 – Dec. A.D. 164
Reference:– RIC 516

 

Lucius Verus denarius
Obv:– L VERVS AVG ARMENIACVS, Laureate head right, slight drapery on far shoulder
Rev:– TR P IIII IMP II COS II, Mars standing right holding a spear resting left hand on shield
Minted in Rome. Dec. A.D. 163 – Dec. A.D. 164
Reference:– RIC 516

 

This would be a good place to show your matching Alexandria Septimius. Mine is very grotty.

 

Yes, a traditional captured soldier with arms behind. Like I said, the hat is reminicent of Parthia, but I do not know if its referencing them or Armenia. I need to look it up. That is the problem with having a toddler and baby at home, not very much time to play with coins.

 

Here is the coin Doug refers to for which the Verus is the prototype.

Septimius Severus denarius
Obv:– IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG, Laureate head right
Rev:– TR P IIII IMP II COS, Mars standing right, resting on spear and shield
Minted in Alexandria, A.D. 194
References:– BMCRE -, RIC -, RSC -. cf. RIN (Rivista Italiana di Nvmismatica Vol. XCVI (1994/1995)

2.59g. 18.71mm. 0o

Additional information courtesy of Curtis Clay:-

"Bickford-Smith recorded three other specimens, of which I also have plaster casts: his own coll. (probably now in BM), Klosterneuburg, and U.S. private collection. On these the rev. legend apparently ends COS rather than COS II.
This type was clearly struck in 194, when Septimius was TR P II and IMP III or IIII, so TR P IIII IMP II in the rev. legend is an error, the origin of which is obvious: the type is a rote copy of the identical type and legend on denarii of Lucius Verus of 164, Cohen 228-9. The titles apply to Lucius in 164, not Septimius in 194!"

 

The 'U.S. Private Collection' mentioned is mine. The reverse for Septimius exists with both COS and COSII at the end but both of mine are real dogs with little legend other than the end that makes a difference. Martin's coin is as nice as I've seen. and has all the legend mine lack. Copying the reverse including legends of Lucius Verus always struck me as 'special'. I would not expect there to have been many denarii circulating in Egypt at the start of 194 because it was a closed economy with their own money. When the mint was tasked to make denarii to ship off to pay the army in the East, the mint workers probably scrambled around looking for examples of what a denarius was. Apparently one was our Lucius Verus.

COS II

COS (no II) - This is the coin recorded by Bickford-Smith.

 

Here are a couple of others I have of the type:-

 

Lucius Verus, Ancient Counterfeit with Faustina II Reverse

Silver denarius, for reverse cf. RIC III Faustina II A506a, Fair, illegal mint, weight 1.553g, maximum diameter 17.3mm, die axis 0o,obverse L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, laureate head right; reverse LAETITIAE PVBLICAE, Laetitia standing left, diadem in right, scepter in right

 

Just one LV out there :


Lucius Verus, Denarius
Denarius struck in 165 AD
L VERVS AVG ARM PARTH MAX, Laureate head of Verus right
TRP V IMP III COS II, Captive (Pathian or Armenian) seated right, before him, bow, quiver and shield
3.10 gr
Ref : Cohen #273, RCV #5358

Q

 

Medoraman this coin really stands out to me. I don't know if it's the patina, die wear, or what, but I love it. In fact, if I ever wrote a book, I'd throw it in randomly. Why? Just because I can!