Another Septimius Severus Sestertius Unlisted Variety

A few years back I gave up my quest to have a sestertius of every person that struck one. After pursuing this for some years it was evident that the means were simply not there to even come close, I would end up down by about 15 at least. Some were completely hopeless: Plautilla, Saloninus, Tranquillina, but there was an affordability problem with many others in any condition.
So I changed my goal to sestertii of the family of Septimius Severus (excluding Severus Alexander) and it has been a great deal of fun - the sestertii of Septimius includes some very rare issues that are affordable simply because not that many people focus on him. Also the low relief on the sestertii of the earlier period means examples in higher grades are hard to find - but alternatively lower and mid grade coins are more or less available. Some months ago I came upon this coin, which RIC lists for IMP VIII at RIC ____(note - I very much apologize but I left my copy of RIC elsewhere from where I am typing this and have to fill in the numbers tomorrow) as Fortuna standing, sometimes with wheel. However, a very close and intense study of the obverse indicates that the coin is not IMP VIII, but IMP VII. RIC does list this coin at #_____, but does not mention the wheel, which it does for RIC ____ for IMP VIII. I plan on doing a search of a database I just discovered (acsearch - it is a magnificent resource!) but my own notebook filled with images of Septimius sestertii does not show any examples of standing Fortuna with a wheel at IMPVII, only IMPVIII. And this is what, for me anyway, collecting ancient coins is all about. I have literally spent hours playing around with this issue - does it even have any meaning? Why would a celator one year inscribe standing Fortuna without a wheel and then the next year add this detail? The striking of some coins can be connected to historical events. It is doubtful, however, that the addition of a wheel means anything other than the celator somehow got it into his head that Fortuna needed a wheel - or perhaps it is a different celator who always has Fortuna with a wheel. I think this is also a less common bust type for this year - much more common later. By the way I do know that the photograph may seem to show IMPVIII - however when looked at through a magnifying glass it look more like IMP VII. If I can find a die match that would resolve the issue.

 

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The photo looks like VII to me.

 

The numeral is muddied, yes, but the spacing is consistent for a VII. And it can't be VIII because then the TR P IIII would be a mismatch.

Still, it looks like you're correct in that this is a new variant. RIC 709 omits the wheel and the two 709's that I've come across don't appear to show one (though they're fairly shopworn)

http://www.coryssa.org/665098
http://www.coryssa.org/324031

I'd like to include it in my next book. Please let me know if I have your permission to reproduce it and your name if ok with you.

 

Yes, of course you have my permission to use it in any fashion. I could also supplement it with weight and size.

I also have a general question - are there programs available that would simplify the task of putting a collection online?I rather like the "Four bad years" website and something like that would be terrific.

 

Many thanks for your submission Blake. Each new coin is a piece of the puzzle solved

If you can please give me the weight that can also be added.

To add your collection online Tantalus is great for ancient coins.

 

The size is 31mm, weight is 21.05 grams

 

I am bringing up this thread because I just spent a couple of hours staring at Fortuna, her wheel, and Septimius Severus sestertius variants. This post was interesting and helpful, although I am still unsure about the coin I got this week in the mail.

From what I can tell from OCRE and a few auctions I found was that 706 has the wheel, 709 does not (although on OCRE 706c is noted as only "sometimes" having the wheel). Both are VII.

Here is the OCRE search I used, with all the variables I could discern on my worn coin:

http://numismatics.org/ocre/results...t_facet:"Septimius+Severus"+AND+fulltext:bust

For my pitiful specimen, I attributed it as RIC 709d because mine is draped (and, I assume cuirassed, but it is hard to tell), and there is no wheel (that I can see!):



Septimius Severus Æ Sestertius
(195-196 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[L SEPT] SEV PERT [AVG IMP VII], laureate, draped, cuirassed,
bust right / [P M TR P IIII] COS II [P P] S C: Fortuna standing l. holding rudder set on globe in r. hand & cornucopiae in left hand
RIC 709d
(16.96 grams / 27 mm)

Attribution Note:

Mine is so worn, I had to determine if it was Fortuna or Annona - since the "S" of SC is inside the object held by woman, it is therefore not Annona.

Fortuna standing with rudder, without wheel at feet:

RIC 709c: laureate, cuirassed

RIC 709d: laureate, draped, and cuirassed

Any corrections or clarifications welcome!

 

Here's the reverse die match you're looking for, and interesting, Septimius without drapery nor cuirass :
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=721047

 

Beautiful example and thanks! Oddly enough it seems that the minute I started to focus on the sestertii of Septimius Severus, the number of coins offered for sale just about ground to a halt- at least those that are affordable, identifiable and not in my collection!

 

A while back I posted my latest sestertius which has a surface texture I have had trouble explaining.
SAECVLO FRVGIFERO TRP COS SC - RIC 655

 

Someone tried to scratch the "paint" off of it then figured out it's faster to get the job done with electrolysis.

 

They were very creative scouring in a circular fashion a fixed distance in from the rim for 3/4 the circumference and in straight lines for 1/4 obverse left and reverse right. This is at the same time my highest grade (least worn) and ugliest sestertius of SS. I could not pass up a full legend (amid the texture) coin this rare (anyone have a link?). Banti lists three and I believe his plate coin shares my obverse (but not reverse). The BMCRE plate coin (reverse only) is a third rx. die. RIC does not illustrate one. Surely a decent one exists but I have not seen it.

 

I think this one (in the British Museum) is your coin's type, @Marsyas Mike :

 

Wow I did a double take when I saw this coin - I had planned on doing a search for photos of this type for a scrap book I have of Septimius’ bronzes (if you can’t afford the coin it is nice to have photos and it is a good reference). I do not know why this type is so rare - it is - I think - “common” for Clodius Albinus. This is the only one I have ever seen.

By the way is Banti online?

As for the roughness perhaps a power tool of some kind? I have seen circular cleaning markings on bronzes but never with this roughness. Perhaps an impatient digger who just wanted to get the job done?

 

I am not aware of Banti online. The books are hard enough to find. I only have the Septimius volume (IV-1).

My opinion/guess is that Septimius withdrew his Saeculi coins from circulation because Albinus had used the type. It is sad but to be expected when we find a type with the best known specimen being as ugly as sin. People who only collect mint state coins don't care and deny they exist. I have no idea how many of these lurk in unpublished collections but it is quite possible that there are none we would call attractive.

 

Thanks, Roman Collector! The question is whether or not mine has a wheel -the reverse is so worn that may be impossible to answer. Ah the pitfalls of bottom-feeding...

 

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It is one of the reasons I like collecting coins of Septimius - there is always more to learn - it helps (a lot) that the series is not fully documented. For the last several years I have been focusing on SS's sestertii - any condition - and every time I go through the sestertii I have I find something new, either a mistake as to attribution or something that I didn't realize or understand.

For example, I am not sure I posted it, but I have a sestertii of Septimius, RIC 677, the only type with Anonna on the reverse, and it has a bust type that is only seen on his medallions -

such as: http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/ric/septimius_severus/Lawrence_69.jpg

The same bust type is common on the late sestertii of Elagabalus, such as:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1739685

So far I have found it only on the one coin I have, which was purchased on VCOINS - and one other I saw for sale, for which i made a photograph. I'm not sure if I posted the coin, but if not I'll do it next week. Why would the Rome mint only use this bust type on this coin with the Annona reverse and on certain medallions? Who knows? - it might just be someone at the mint thought that it should only be on special coins - it is like the discussion you posted on Greek Imperials about the AE 28 of Diocaesarea in Cilicia, which had the portrait to the side of the flan - perhaps an individual decision, which results in thousands of years later collectors/students of ancient coins wondering why? But, these issues are why collecting ancient coins is so enjoyable -

 

Would Curtis Clay's thesis on Septimius' coinage be available somewhere? That study may contain valuable information.

Frans

 

I found this one, hammered 375 Euro in 2014:

https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=2279890

 

Thanks. I can't figure out why I failed to find it when I searched. I typed septimius saecvlo which turned up a dupondius but no sestertius. Perhaps upper case counts??? No, typing Septimius keeps it from finding the Septimio from an Italian seller. Educational!