Septimius Severus bronze with burning altar of Amasia

Discussion in 'Ancient Coins' started by Joseph Sarkissian, Jul 4, 2016.

  1. Joseph Sarkissian

    Joseph Sarkissian Active Member

    Happy 4th everyone.
    This what seems to be a copper coin, 30 mm, 14.31 g, of Septimius Severus, I had looked for a while online, but never found any examples until I finally saw a version on wildwinds with an eagle over the altar. My Image-1 (1).jpg version is absent on that site. On another site I found only one without the eagle, thus described: PONTUS, Amasia. Septimius Severus, 193-211. 209/10. [AV K Λ CЄΠT] CЄOVHPOC Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus to right, seen from behind. Rev. AΔP CЄV [ANT AMACIAC MHT NЄ ΠP ΠON] / ЄT KH ? Burning altar of two levels; to left, tree. Dalaison 291. SNG von Aulock
    The year of mint below the altar is CT ? H (some help and resource needed to identify these, along with a rationale. For example, if these are Greek letters, obviously the "H" would be the 7th letter in the Greek alphabet - rather than the eighth if it were the latin H.)
    Anyone know the actual SNGvA number of this version??
     
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  3. maridvnvm

    maridvnvm Well-Known Member

    The reverse is similar to my Caracalla version.

    Caracalla AE31 - Amasia, Pontos, Burning altar
    Obv: AU KAI M AUR ANTWNINOS, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from front.
    Rev: ADR SEU AN AMASIAS MH NE P P / ET - CH, Burning altar with tree to left
    Minted in Amaseia/Amasia, Pontos, 208-209 AD

    15.08 gms, 30.95 mm

    [​IMG]
     
  4. dougsmit

    dougsmit Member

    No. Greek numerals included archaic letters not retained in the modern alphabet including at 6 what we usually see called digamma or stigma often looking like an S, backwards question mark or F. These numbers were used over many years in many variations. As a result H is 8. ET means 'year' and the missing letter is C or a lunate form of sigma which is the numeral for 200. Greek numbers did not employ space holding zeros so the coin is year 208 of the city era which I believe started in 2 BC so this would be c. 206-7 AD. I do not know what month began their calendar.
    gi0810bb1203.jpg gi1365bb2658.jpg

    You might search Coin Talk. I don't think it has been all that long since these were discussed here but I don't recall how many were shown. I have seen several but most are in no better condition than yours. Making coins that large was a technical challenge and many have flan flaws or weak strikes.
     
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