I haven't had much to share for a while. There are a peculiar set of coins from the Eastern denarii of Septimius Severus that have COS II legends but have a range of shortenings in the obverse legends such as CA for CAE etc. I have coins from nine different obverse dies, most of which have different legend variations. I have just added a new coin to my little collection which also has a peculiar reverse legend and thought it worthy of sharing. Septimius Severus denarius Obv:– IMP CA L SE SEV PEVR (sic) AVG COS I-I, Laureate head right Rev:– BONI ENTVS (sic), Fides standing left holding basket of fruit and corn ears Eastern mint References:– RIC -, RSC - The obverse legend is clearer on my other coin which shares the obverse die but is a different reverse type. Obv:– IMP CA L SE SEV PEVR (sic) AVG COS I-I, Laureate head right Rev:– BONA SPES, Spes standing holding flower and lifting skirt. References:– RIC -, RSC - Martin
A very nice addition Martin. I enjoy threads like this because they are outside of my current collecting interests and I therefore learn a lot from them. Thanks for an interesting post about an interesting coin. I might just have to start looking for a coin of Septimius for my own collection. I am especially liking the style of these eastern mint denarii.
Just for reference, here are the other obverse dies in this series that I am aware of. I won't bore you with all the reverses I have too. IMP CA L SE SEV - PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SEP SEV - PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SEP SEV - PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SE SEV - PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SEP SE-V PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SEP SE-V PER AVG COS II IMP CA L SEP S-EV PER AVG COS - II IMP CA L SE SEV PER AG COS II (This coin started my addiction with this sub-series)
Beautiful coins, Martin! I always wonder which letters are chosen to be removed and why. Was there some sort of a system in the language for shortening words, or was it an arbitrary decision of the die engraver. To add to the thread, here is my one and only Emesa mint Septimius Severus denarius with the shortened words in the obverse legend. 194 - 195 A.D., Emesa Mint 3.20g, 18.0mm, 11H Obverse: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II, Head of Septimius Severus, laureate, right Reverse: VIRTVTE AVG, Virtus, helmeted, draped, standing left, holding spear in right hand and parazonium in left hand Reference: RIC IV Septimius Severus 431
Yours is a nice example of the full form COS II obverse legend (as full as it gets anyway!). Here is mine of the same type, which is in need of an updated image. There is another VIRTVTE AVG type to be aware of too but it is a bit scarcer. Reference:– BMCRE W404 (plate 17.12, same reverse die and quite possibly the same obverse die). RIC 431a (Rated Rare, citing RD, p 106). RSC 771a. RD contained 1 specimen. BMCRE notes that the obverse legend break is unknown due to missing middle of legend and the RD coin is noted as having the right hand of the obverse legend missing.