I just posted a new educational website: http://augustuscoins.com/ed/SevAlex/ "Severus Alexander (Roman Emperor, AD 222-235), "Year 5" coins for Alexandria, Egypt" Year 5 (AD 226/7) is particularly interesting because there are Alexandrian year 5 coins from two different years and two different mints. Read the site to find out how that can be. This is the coin which inspired the site. The portrait looks like his portraits on imperial coins, not those on Alexandrian coins, and "year 5" is written out as L ΠEMΠTOY. L is again the Egyptian symbol for "year" and ΠEMΠTOY is "fifth". The type is Serapis (an Egyptian god, distinguished by the modius on his head) standing left, raising his right hand, and holding transverse long scepter. The obverse legend is long: A KAI M AVP CEOVHR AΛEΞANΔPOC EVCEB Imperator Caesar Marcus AURelius SEVERUs ALEXANDERVS Pius 26-24 mm. 13.55 grams. Emmett 3134 The coin was struck for Alexandria, but with dies of Roman style and struck in Rome. The site also has "year 5" coins struck in Alexandria and "year 5" coins struck in a different year! Show us your Alexandrian coins of Severus Alexander.
Nice, informative site @Valentinian. I don't think I have any Sev Alex coins minted at or for Alexandria, but I have many examples of Rome minted coins. Most are in pretty good condition like these two:
Excellent page, @Valentinian!! I certainly want to add some Rome-style Severus Alexander tetradrachms to my collection. As to which story of their manufacture makes the most sense, I'm not sure. There's certainly no question that they are very different from the usual tets of that era. For now though, here's an Alexandria mint Severus Alexander. The engraving style of his Alexandrian coins was often better than coins of emperors immediately surrounding his reign. I wonder why. Maybe the answer is simple-- maybe an unusually talented engraver was working at the mint during that time. EGYPT, Alexandria. Severus Alexander year 12, CE 232/3 tetradrachm, 23 mm, 13.87 gm Obv: AKAIMAAVPCEVAΛEΞANΔPOCEV; Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right Rev: Alexandria standing facing, head left, holding vexillum and grain ears; palm frond to left, L IB (date) to right Ref: Emmett 3088.12 (R4); Köln 2474 var. (obv. legend); Dattari (Savio) 4264; K&G 62.172 var. (same)
I think I've shown this one in another thread but here's a year 3 - quite a variation in portrait styles on these, even just the ones from Alexandria. Severus Alexander - Alexandria billon tetradrachm 22mm 12.95 g bust right laureate, AKAIMAPAYPCEVH[P] [A]ΛEΞANΔ[POC] [EVCEB] Nike advancing left holding Victory in right hand palm in left ; L Γ in left field Year 3 / 223 - 224 CE
I always like to see more research on Sev Alex! Thanks for this, @Valentinian. A Rome-linked tet is now on my list. (And thanks to everyone here on CT for turning my attention to Alexandria, which I had pretty much ignored before, to my detriment.) I have a year 2 (222-223). Obv. A KAI MAP AVP CEVHP AΛEΞANΔPOC EVCEB (I like how the EVCEB is tucked under the portrait). Rev. Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales and cornucopia. (Greek equivalent to Aequitas.)
Since seeing this thread, I've been causally looking for one of these Roman-style Tetradrachms of Severus Alexander. Well, I managed to find rough budget versions of both a year-4 and a year-5. Below is the year-4, the second (a bit rougher...) one arrives Monday-ish. Ive been scouring the Internet for more example pictures of this type and year (4) but have only found one other so far... So if you know of others, please let me know! Severus Alexander Ob. A KAI M AVP CЄOVHP AΛЄZANΔPOC ЄV CЄB, laur. hd. r. Rx. Serapis stdg.l., wearing modius, holding a small scepter. Around edge: L TETAPTOY Dattari 4356 24.47mm, 12.6g PS: Yep, it appears that bronze disease ate one of the edges at one point... It appears to be stable now... There is green but does not appear to be active. PPS: Here's a pic of the only other photo I've found of a year-4 like mine. From acsearch... Not my coin. Same reverse die, different obverse die.
