A true natural Roman Sestercius - please add more to this post

This Sestertius is a true natural coin, the fields, portrait, Africa or 100% as from the earth. Light washing has left the earth between the letters on the obverse. The reverse shows Africa and the 'cute' lion.

Septimus Severus coins are found in abundance but not Sestertius which are very rare especially in wonderful condition.

The close interest I have is Septimus Severus died at York in 211 AD.

Late in his reign he travelled to Britain, strengthening Hadrian's Wall and reoccupying theAntonine Wall. In 208 he invaded Caladonia (modern Scotland), but his ambitions were cut short when he fell fatally ill in late 210. Severus died in early 211 at Eboracum (today York, England),succeeded by his sons Caracalla and Geta. With the succession of his sons, Severus founded the Severan dynasty, the last dynasty of the empire before the Crisis of the Third Century.

 

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Very nice coin. Well preserved with good detail.

 

Very nice!

 

Thanks Marc for the email - it is special for many reasons, specially the fields are amazing

 

Very few coins of that period were struck even what you might call decently but this is exceptional.

 

Hi dougsmit

Was it just the period that the were very few bronzes struck. Interested to know more as for 35 years I searched for great Sestertius and only have two.

 

I believe that there were so many sestertii struck during the period of Antoninus Pius through Commodus that the demand for new coins was low for a while. Also remember that inflation was making the buying power of the coin less so it might be that demand was falling off for that reason as well. When I was a kid, half dollars were commonly in circulation and paid many lunch bills with change in dimes and nickels. Today, the average lunch - nothing big or fancy - requires breaking a five at least. We now only use smaller coins to support our ridiculous habit of pricing things at $4.98 rather than $5.00 and paying a tax that could as simply be collected from the merchant as a percentage of total sales rather than separately from each.

Septimius did issue asses but many were special New Years donative coins or, I suspect, had other 'footnotes' that explained the need at some particular point in time now lost to history. Workmanship was not great on denarii of the middle part of the reign and sestertii are much harder to make due to both size and metal alloy. I am not at all surprised you have trouble finding perfectly made pieces that never circulated at all so they have no wear. People do not hoard away piles of new bronzes as often as they might new silver or gold and smaller finds of coins often spent will look like the ones in my collection, not yours.

As inflation continued the brass or copper in these old coins would quickly exceed the value of their fraction of an antoninianus. That would cause them to be melted and turned into cooking pots. Be amazed you have the two that you do and be prepared to pay heavily for the next.

 

Thanks for sharing your knowledge

 

Super coin (amazing actually) ... sweet addition (congrats)

 

Wow! Great coin, two thumbs up!!

 

oh my...what a gorgeous coin...thanks for posting that one swk!

 

thanks guys for your great comments - hoping it wood bring from the "wood work" more Sestertius of Septimius

 

=> well, my example certainly isn't in your coin's league, but I never miss an opportunity to show-off my stuff! (thanks)

Septimius Severus Sestertius (& Virtus)

 

great thanks looking for different dies

 

Dear Jeff,

this a great coin! Thank you for showing us. Also thanks to stevex6.

Greetings,

Marc Aceton

 

What bothers me....and I hope I am wrong, is that coins of this grade are always coins found in hoards. This coin shows traces of soil/earth (whatever you want to call it) and I do not see how a coin of this age shows no signs of edge wear or other wear when soil traces are present....
What is the provenance of this coin please? I really dont want to throw accusartions about, but the coin m,ust have some background info?? purchase cost etc/....

 

Hadrian Sestertius
Rome Mint 125-128AD
O: HADRIANVS AVGGVSTVS, laureate bust right
R: COS III, S-C across fields, Aequitas standing left, holding scales in right, sceptor in left.
RIC II 637
32MM, 22.02g

 

Marcus Aurelius
AE Sestertius
O: M AVREL ANTONINVS AVG ARMENIACVS PM, laureate head right
R: TR POT XIX IMP II COS III SC, Providentia standing left holding baton and scepter.
Van Meter 124/3
33mm, 26.2gs

 

Ummm, were you merely lookin' for a bunch more AE Sestertii? ...

=> well, here are a bunch more, gang ...

Diva Julia Titi


Divus Augustus


Faustina II & Juno with peacock


Antoninus Pius & Salus with rudder + snake-n-altar


Antoninus Pius & Tiber beside ship


Lucilla & Juno with peacock


Lucis Verus & Victory


Commodus & big meeting on stage

 

Otacila Severa & Hippo




Volusian & Juno in temple