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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Blake Davis, post: 26036096, member: 91820&quot;]As mentioned in other threads, about five years into collecting ancient coins in about 2003 or so I got the bronze bug and have never looked back.&nbsp; I was fortunate enough to find a few rare sestertii of Caracalla and Geta and as the years went on became more and more interested in the sestertii of the family of Septimius Severus.&nbsp; Reading Doug Smith&#039;s articles also greatly increased my enthusiasm for Septimian coinage. Early on I posted some of my more unusual Severans on Moneta, Curtis Clay, THE expert in this area, was kind enough to comment on the coins posted until I got in the habit of sending him photos of interesting Severan sestertii I was able to acquire - until I found this site and there was no need.</p><p><br /></p><p>I also saw Curtis a few times at the NY shows but - I was always too intimidated to say hello - and yes I realize how that doesn&#039;t make sense - I always thought I was dressed too poorly since I would always go to the shows in jeans, sneakers and an old coat - not exactly dressed to impress - and I am used to being in a business suit.</p><p><br /></p><p>Enough introduction: Of all the interesting sestertii of Septimius I have come across over the years this has to be the most interesting:</p><p><br /></p><p>Septimius Severus sestertius</p><p>Victory Walking Left</p><p>Rome Mint - 22.26 grams 31mm</p><p>PMTRP...ADVENTVIAVG - Reverse</p><p>LSEPTSEV PERTAVGIMPVIII - Obverse</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1655470[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1655471[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The Victory walking with wreath type is among the most common reverses on Septimius&#039; sestertii. It was struck among his first types, as well as IMP II and IMPIII&nbsp; - and for IMPX.&nbsp; A footnote in RIC for IMPVII indicates that Cohn lists the Victory walking type although RIC does not.&nbsp; RIC does not list a Victory walking for IMPVIII, IMPVIIII or IMPX - but Victory for IMPX does exist.&nbsp; That does indicate that Victory was likely struck for IMP VIII and IMP VIIII but as the Rome mint started winding down on bronzes these types simply never were found - until now for IMP VIII</p><p><br /></p><p>If this was the only reason that this coin is fascinating I would stop here.&nbsp; But the reverse inscription is.... is.... impossible&nbsp; - it does not exist for Septimius.&nbsp; The phrase ADVENTIVIAVG does exist for IMP VII and IMPVIII but only as the initial part of the inscription on a coin that reads ADVENTVIAVG FELICISSIMO - with Septimius on horse, raising hand, sometimes preceded by a soldier - RIC 718.&nbsp; I think the type also exists - rarely - for IMPVII.&nbsp; But there is no sestertius that exists for Septimius for IMPVIII that ends in ADVENTVIAVG.</p><p><br /></p><p>Which means it may be that a coin with RIC 718 or a die somehow got to the edge of this coin in such a way that it perfectly aligns with where you would expect the ending of this inscription.&nbsp; The issue with this is that typically you would see something off about the rest of the coin - some doubling or something that makes it look like it was double struck.&nbsp; I have looked carefully and have not found it although it may be there is another inscription running along side - you can just barely make it out - maybe or is it imagination? I think I would need a stereo microscope to know for certain- take a look:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1655472[/ATTACH] [ATTACH=full]1655473[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>So what do we have - the rarest of finds - a type not known with an inscription never heard of?</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin is genuine - it came from an established dealer, likely was found in Spain, and it &quot;feels&quot; genuine - if you look carefully at the coin everything that should be is where it should be.</p><p><br /></p><p>I have run out of time to do a complete write up on the Lucius Verus As that just came in through an odd circumstance - it is beautiful but...is that bronze disease in two spots? I really do not want to return this but to date I have not been able to find a way to treat bronze disease that works for good.&nbsp; What would you do?[ATTACH=full]1655475[/ATTACH]</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1655474[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>It sort of looks like it had previously been treated for the same thing - check out the pinkish area close to where the disease is now.</p><p><br /></p><p>PLEASE let me know your thoughts on the Septimius - how could it be anything but a weird issue involving wrong die - does it tell us anything about how the Romans struck their coins other than mistakes do happen - or is it an inscription that only made it to this one coin?&nbsp; No way to be sure of course but what is the most likely explanation?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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