Interesting limes issue: Severus Alexander as Caesar quinarius (?)

This is a very intriguing piece for the following reasons: it's a limes edition of an Alexander as Caesar (and all his emissions as Caesar are rare) but unlike the usual limes issues, this one was cast as a sub-denomination (a quinarius maybe?) with a diameter of 14mm and a weight of 1.53g:


SEVERUS ALEXANDER as CAESAR AE14mm 1.53g limes quinarius(?)/cast "falsum" (VF)

AV: [M AVR AL]EXANDER CAES; draped and cuirassed bust r. seen from back.

REV: PIETAS AVG; sacrificial implements - lituus, knife, vase, simpulum and sprinkler.

EXE: -

REF: cf. RIC IV-B 3 10th of July 221 - March 222 AD.

With the provision that RIC IV-B 3 is a denarius with dimensions of cca. 17-18mm die and cca. 3g weight. So judging by the discrepancies in both diameter and weight, this piece might represent a quinarius and his quinarii as Caesar are unlisted, not to mention limes ones.
As limes issues were fashioned after official Rome silver issues, that means that somewhere there was at least one official issue of a silver quinarius for Alexander as Caesar.

 

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Interesting piece and interesting suppositions. Even though it looks to me that you must be correct, unless you can find that official silver quinarius, it will remain only as theory.

BTW, attractive young portrait.

 

Quinarii in the 3rd century are quite under-represented in collections. There are however silver quinarii known for Alexander as Augustus, Orbiana and Julia Maesa as there are for Elagabal.
For instance, this piece sold by Goldberg Coins (http://www.goldbergcoins.com/view-auctions/catalog/id/19/lot/48365/) was minted at roughly the same time Alexander was appointed as Caesar so it might be possible that a small quantity of quinarii was also minted in his name, from which one spec became the blueprint for limes money.


This is of course based on very little actual evidence to make it a theory, so it's more likely a hypothesis.

 

Nice find and pretty cool.

 

that's a cool, weird little coin seth...haven't seen one quite like it.

 

The types on the base metal denarii are fairly free-wheeling, and obviously not standardized like at the official mints. I don't see why this couldn't simply be a smaller diameter "denarius" or an ancient fantasy for a quinarius.

Also, I hate the term "limes denarii." I have yet to see any credible reports that these come from anywhere near the border. The term "limesfalsa" refers specifically to cast imitations of bronze coins found along the Rhine.

EDIT: My first paragraph doesn't give enough credit to seth's theory. It is certainly possible that this bronze piece represents a hitherto unknown quinarius, especially when one considers that these bronzes quite routinely imitate rare or important types.

 

I'm fascinated by the religious implements. I can imagine what the knife and sprinkler were uses for, sacrifices and blessings but the vase, lituus, and simpulum are lost on me. Don't have the time to look into it right now...I'm also curious why they would choose to put these on a coin.

 

The coin is of a German coin dealer but other than that it's impossible to establish provenance. Also, what made me consider this hypothesis is the diameter of the "die" which prompts to consider that the original silver piece after which this cast was fashioned was the size of a quinarius.

I'd be really interested in seeing some of those casts after rare and historically important silver. Is there a venue where these can be seen?
Thanks!

 

There are a lot of coins with religious implements. For example:

VESPASIAN
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP CAES VESP AVG P M COS IIII, laureate head right
REVERSE: AVGVR TRI POT, sacrificial implements: simpulum, aspergillum, jug & lituus
Struck at Rome, 72/3AD
2.6g, 18mm
RIC 356


GETA
Bilon Denarius
OBVERSE: L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES, draped bust right
REVERSE: SEVERI PII AVG FIL, priestly implements: lituus, knife, jug, simpulum, & sprinkler
Struck at Rome, 198-200 AD
2.7g, 17mm
RIC 3, C 188

 

Nice find seth, interesting addition.

 

I agree ... and similar to Bing's sweet examples, I gots one too ...

Herennius Etruscus AR Antoninianus
"PIETAS AVGVSTORVM Implements"
250-251 AD
Rome Mint
Diameter: 23mm
Weight: 3.80 grams
Obverse: Q HER ETR MES DECIVS NOB C, draped bust right
Reverse: PIETAS AVGVSTORVM, sprinkler, simpulum, jug, and lituus (sacrificial implements of the priest )
Reference: RIC IV: 143

 

Commodus. AE As. 175-176 AD, 6.6g, 24mm

OBV: COMMODO CAES AVG FIL GERM SARM, Bare-headed, draped bust right.

REV: PIETAS AVG, Sacrificial implements: knife, aspergillum, ewer, lituus and simpulum; SC in exergue.

REF: RIC 1538; Cohen 404 (Struck under Marcus Aurelius); Sear 5561.

I have yet to reshoot the coin. The photo is good enough but I can't stand that red background.

This coin commemorates Commodus doning the toga virilis.