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Message:: [QUOTE="Orielensis, post: 7388138, member: 96898"]Welcome to the forum, [USER=119509]@RedStallions[/USER] ! As others have said, both your coins are very attractive examples, and there is no reason to doubt their authenticity. That's a great start for a collection of ancients (much better than my own first coins). As Doug has outlined above, the Severan period is a very rewarding field not only for beginners. Most coins from that time are affordable, and there is an abundance of interesting reverses beyond the usual "some allegorical figure standing there" types. It makes sense to start with having a coin per ruler, but it would be a pity to stop there. Below are some of my favorite Severan denarii, just to illustrate what is out there. The most obvious set is, as you outlined yourself, to start with the five male Severan rulers (Septimius Severus, Geta, Caracalla, Elagabalus, Severus Alexander): [ATTACH=full]1285911[/ATTACH] Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 202–210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: INDVLGENTIA AVGG IN CARTH; Dea Caelestis, draped, riding r. on lion, holding thunderbolt in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand; below, water gushing from rock. 19mm, 3.32g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 266. [ATTACH=full]1285909[/ATTACH] Caracalla, Roman Empire, denarius, 215 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM; laureate head of Caracalla r. Rev: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P; Apollo, naked except for cloak flying behind, standing l., holding branch in extended r. hand and with l. hand lyre set on altar. 21mm, 3.04g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 254. This is a young Geta portrait from an Eastern mint. For Geta and Caracalla, you can assemble sets of portraits showing them at a different age. Eastern mints have a different style of engraving:[ATTACH=full]1285907[/ATTACH]Geta, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 198–200 AD, “Laodicea” mint. Obv: L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES; bust of Geta, bare-headed, draped, r. Rev: SPEI PERPETVAE; Spes, draped, advancing l., holding flower in r. hand and raising skirt with l. hand. 20mm, 3.19g. RIC IV Geta 96. This coin is grossly underweight. I don't assume it to be unofficial though – it probably rather shows what a turbulent time Elagabalus' reign was. Things were all haywire, and that included the mint:[ATTACH=full]1285906[/ATTACH] Elagabalus, Roman Empire, denarius, 220 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; bust of Elagabalus, draped and laureate, r. Rev: P M TR P III COS III P P; Sol, radiate, naked except for cloak over l. shoulder, standing l., raising r. hand and holding whip in l. hand; in field l., star. 18mm, 1,80g. RIC IV Elagabalus 28b. [ATTACH=full]1285905[/ATTACH] Severus Alexander, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 224 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG; bust of Severus Alexander, laureate and draped, r. Rev: P M TR P III COS P P; Mars standing l., helmeted and in military attire, holding spear and branch. 18mm, 3.21g. Ref: RIC RIC IV Severus Alexander 37. In addition, you can also assemble a collection of Severan women (Julia Domna, Plautilla, Julia Maesa, Julia Soaemias, Julia Mamaea, Julia Paula, Aquilia Severa, Orbiana). Some of them are not much harder to find that the male rulers, others (e.g. Julia Paula and Julia Soaemias) are a bit scarcer. Aquilia Severa and Orbiana are outright rare and expensive in presentable condition. I don't have coins of these two empresses. [ATTACH=full]1285902[/ATTACH] Julia Domna, Roman Empire, denarius, 193–196 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA DOMNA AVG; bust of Julia Domna, draped, r. Rev: VENERI VICTR, Venus standing with back turned, head r., holding apple in r. hand and palm in l., resting l. elbow on column. 18mm, 4.13g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 536. [ATTACH=full]1285904[/ATTACH] Julia Paula, Roman Empire, denarius, 219–220 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA PAULA AVG; bust of Julia Paula, hair waved and fastened in plait, draped, r. Rev: CONCORDIA AVG; Concordia, draped, seated l., holding patera in extended r. hand; in field l, star. 19.5mm, 3.00g. Ref: RIC IV.2 Elagabalus 211. This coin is a recent purchase – look at that sneer! Julia Soaemias maybe is Rome's most hated empress. [ATTACH=full]1285901[/ATTACH] Julia Soaemias, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 218–222 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA SOAEMIAS AVG, bust of Julia Soaemias, draped, r., hair waved and turned up low at the back. Rev: VENVS CAELESTIS; Venus, diademed, draped, seated l., holding apple in extended r. hand and sceptre in l. hand; at feet, child. 19mm, 3.39g. Ref: RIC IV Elagabalus 243. [ATTACH=full]1285903[/ATTACH] Julia Maesa, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 218–222 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA MAESA AVG, bust of Julia Maesa, draped, r., hair turned up low at the back. Rev: PIETAS AVG, Pietas standing facing, head l. raising both hands, burning altar to l. 20mm, 3.65g. Ref: RIC IV.2 Elagabalus 266. Finally, there are the challengers to the Severan dynasty. These include Septimius Severus' rivals at the beginning of his reign (Pertinax, Didius Julianus, Pescennius Niger, Clodius Albinus) as well as Caracalla's successors who were soon in conflict with Elagabalus' female realtives (Macrinus and his son Diadumenian). All of them are rather scarce and expensive. Below is my Macrinus: [ATTACH=full]1285908[/ATTACH] Macrinus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 217–218 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IMP C M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG; laureate and cuirassed short-bearded bust of Macrinus r. Rev: IOVI CONSERVATORI; Jupiter standing left, holding thunderbolt and sceptre; to left, small figure of Macrinus standing r. 20mm, 3.21g. Ref: RIC IV Macrinus 76b.[/QUOTE]

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