Septimius Severus, Roman Emperor from Africa

a.c.h., That's a stunning denarius with a finely engraved portrait !

 

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h.w.earl, That's a nice left facing portrait . I agree with you, Severus most likely had dark skin, probably of olive tone, like so many people did from the eastern Mediterranean area . When we see his image on a carved marble bust it's easy to assume he had white skin .

 

Thanks, Al! I've always liked lefties, as they tend to be somewhat more harder to find than right facing portraits (for whatever reason).

Plus, I can now call this coin a Leftie Septie

 

I showed my Imperial lefties in the September thread. I only have 1 left facing provincial unless you count the left facing SS portrait on my AE25 with Albinus from Pautalia.


Antioch, Pisidia, AE22


Each has been shown here many times. They are among my favorites.

 

The OP sestertius is excellent. I have the Birley book, which is very good, and Michael Grant's The Severans which is not one of his better efforts.

Septimius Severus had denarii with AFRICA in two poses:



20-19 mm. Africa standing, elephant-skin headdress(?), holding scorpion, lion at feet.
RIC 253 "undated 202-210". BMC 309. Hill 914 "207"



19 mm. 2.87 grams.
Africa reclining left, elephant-skin headdress (?), holding scorpion and cornucopia, basket of grain at her feet.
RIC 254. BMC 310. Hill 875 "visit to Africa" "207"

 

Left facing portraits on Roman coins always seem odd to me . I don't know if there was a special significance for doing this or weather it was just a quirk of the engraver. On provincial coins I've seen more left facing portraits on the coinage of Philip I & Philip II, compared to all the other emperors.

 

Warren, Those are handsome denarii . The "ringlet style" beard looks unusual on the 1st coin . Does anyone know the significance of the scorpion on these coins ?

 

Africa also holds a scorpion on Hadrian's travel series denarius depicting her.

 

Let me add this - it is well known that Septimius Severus stopped striking bronze coins at the Rome mint from ca199 to 209AD, I have wondered if the enormous output of provincial bronzes during this period and after are a consequence of this decision. Think about it - compared to emperors before and after his reign.

I have also wondered why there are so few provincial coins struck in the west and Africa - for example where are the provincial coins of Britain, Gaul and Spain as well as Africa - why are these coins so much more common in the eastern part of the empire??

After Tiberius I have seen few provincial coins from Spain.