Today Septimius Severus was born. The very first ancient that got me into collecting! My only eastern mint of him: My Favorite portrait I have:
Happy birthday, Seppy! Septimius Severus Rome, CE 206 AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 20 mm, 12h Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right Rev: LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison Ref: RIC 274; BMC 343. Privately acquired August 2014 ex Colosseo Collection ex Roma Numismatics, Auction VII, lot 1108
TIF i love that coin, my favorite coin reverses is the galley, ship. the funny thing i don't really own one. got to get busy!!
Beautiful coins, Mat and TIF. One of my goals this year is to collect at least an emperor/empress set of Severan Dynasty denarii. So far I only have S. S., Julia Domna, and S. Alexander, which leaves a lot of holes in my Dansco Severan Dynasty Type album...
happy birthday SS! if they made dranco albums for sep sev coins, i know we have one member here who could fill a couple up. here are my SS coins....
I show too many denarii so my tribute will be provincials. There are thousands of them. When the RPC volume on Septimius comes out, you will not want to lift it. Cybele on lion from Pautalia - AE29 Apollo Sauroktonos from Nikopolis - AE25 Nike from Hadrianopolis - AE28 Hercules from Philippopolis - AE28
Those are lovely provincials, Doug. I have a few to post if you include the entire dynasty... S. S. Nikopolis, Mercury S. S. Markianopolis, Homonoia Geta, Pautalia, a snake, a snake! Elagabalus, Antioch, SC Julia Mamaea, Bostra, Tyche
Septimius Severus at Antioch in Pisidia/Men standing right with foot on tiny prow, holding vertical scepter in right, resting left elbow on a column while holding out a globe with Victory with trophy, tiny rooster at left, crescent behind shoulders. COL CAES ANTIOCH (This is not Antioch in Syria, rather Antioch in Pisidia). 33 mm, 26.17 grams. A sestertius-sized coin. Von Aulock 4924. Sear Greek Imperial --, Lindgren and Kovacs 1204. Men was a moon god worshipped mainly in Asia Minor.
I always like the type Valentinian posted but mine is not that nice. I do have a smaller denomination from the issue that always struck me as strange in style compared to the very normal looking larger coin. This is AE 22 and very different style with Tyche. Judging from the portrait and PER in the legend, the small coin is much earlier in the reign than the type Valentinian showed.
This is a lovely thread. I particularly like the last two provincials posted by Warren and Doug - very distinctive coins!
