...if you are Septimius Severus! I was able to pick up this LIBERALITAS AVG VI issue pretty cheaply. There is a bit of discoloration in a few spots, but the overall coin detail is strong enough that I purchased the coin to have an example of a scarcer type. In reading up on the LIBERALITAS issues, there is seemingly not a lot of information to be found or much certainty of the dates of these largesses to the citizens of Rome. If I am missing some key source that I am not thinking of here, please fellow Severan collectors, advise. RIC has 209 (?) for the date of the sixth largesse which seems to make sense I guess if Septimius left Rome afterward to deal with Britain and was out of Rome until his death. In any case, it is an interesting issue to me and I enjoy the depiction of the coin counter (coin dispenser or abacus, when described differently) on the reverse. Open season on all of the Severans or Liberalitas types! Septimius Severus, Denarius, LIBERALITAS AVG VI AR Denarius Septimius Severus Augustus: 193 - 211AD Issued: 209AD 21.0 x 19.0mm 3.60gr O: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; Laureate head, right. R: LIBERALITAS AVG VI; Liberalitas standing left, holding coin dispenser and cornucopia. Rome Mint RIC 278a; RSC 298; Sear 6306; BMC 349. Aorta: 783: B3, O81, R178, T108, M4. treewalk123/John Tucker 132175418074 10/19/17 10/27/17
That is a cool reverse type, and is still on my list. It has been a long time since I picked up any SS denarius, like 4 years ago??
Nice one @nicholasz219 SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS AR Denarius OBVERSE: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: RESTITVTOR VRBIS, Roma seated left holding palladium & spear, round sheild below Struck at Rome, 207 AD 1.9g, 19mm RIC 288
Sweet Liberalitas reverse. Liberalitas on coins is thought to commemorate a gift of money given by the emperor to his troops, which was basically a bribe to keep your loyal troops from accidentally plunging a knife into your back, or slitting your throat. It appears that the Praetorian Guards, and increasingly the legions themselves, were very accident prone with their emperors, but emperors soon caught on to the fact that the more bribe money "donatives" that they gave to their soldiers, the lesser these accidental stabbings and slitting of throats seemed to happen. The emperors did tend to give gifts of money to citizens too at the same time the army got theirs, but no doubt the propaganda of Liberalitas at this time period was aimed at the soldiers, as donative to the army became a top priority for emperors. Severus started the tradition of focusing on keeping the army bribed and happy, while ignoring the Senate. As long as the army was with you, you could afford not to focus as much on the rest of the population. I have one of Gordian III. Notice mine says LIBERALITAS AVG II. The number II commemorates a second such donation. As emperors gave one when they came to power, and usually one during a major event like a wedding, this one might have been minted for the donative Gordian III would have been expected to give the soldiers to celebrate his imperial wedding. An interesting thing is that we know Gordian III had three such events based on his coin legends. I suspect the third could have been to motivate his soldiers for the upcoming campaign against Parthia. A little cash goes a long way towards making soldiers feel better about marching through the bitter deserts of the Middle East. And to keep on with the focus on Septimius Severus, here are my coins of his. The first minted in the East probably during the Civil Wars, and the second with the Neptune reverse no doubt commemorates the Emperor's upcoming crossing of the English channel for his military campaign in Britania. I'm sure Neptune was pleased with being on the coins, because Severus had no issues crossing the channel.
Nice coin! I don't have a Sep Sev Liberalitas, but here's a Geta. GETA AR Denarius. 3.13g, 20mm. Rome mint, AD 211. RIC IV 89. O: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate, bearded head right. R: LIBERALI-TAS AVG V, Liberalitas standing half left holding counting board and cornucopiae; globe at feet to left. Ex Collection of an old Swiss Gentleman whose wife wouldn't let him keep his coins And a Marcus Aurelius bronze showing the donative scene. MARCUS AURELIUS Orichalchum Sestertius. 24.30g, 31mm. Rome mint, Dec AD 176 - Autumn 177. RIC 1208; C 424. O: M ANTONINVS AVG - GERM SARM TR P XXXI, laureate head right. R: [IMP VIII - COS III] P P, Marcus Aurelius and Commodus seated left on platform; behind, stands officer; before, Liberalitas standing with counting board and cornucopiae; citizen mounting steps; in field, S-C; LIBERALITAS / AVG VII in exergue.
Nice coins! Here's mine...the mama annd the papa.. AR Denarius Septimius Severus 193-211 AD (Nicely toned) 3.37g. 18mm. 202-210 AD Rome mint. Obverse- SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right Reverse- FELICITAS AVGG, Felicitas standing facing, head left, holding caduceus and cornucopiae RIC IV 261; RSC 135 Julia Domna. Augusta, AD 193-217. AR Denarius (3,84g). Rome mint. Struck under Septimius Severus, circa AD 200-207. Draped bust right / Pietas standing left, holding acerrum (incence box) and dropping incense onto lighted and garlanded altar to left. RIC IV 572 (Septimius); RSC 150. Paul
I love the posts! Great thread with great coins!! I'm missing those devices but I'll pile on with this denarius AR Denarius of Septimius Severus 193-211 AD., - SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / P M TR P XVI COS III P P, Jupiter standing right, leaning back preparing to hurl a thunderbolt and holding a scepter(3.94 grams, 19/18 mm) Rome mint 208 AD., RIC IV 216 RSC 501
A few from Rome: Two from "Emesa" One from Laodicea In a week and a half the voters in my state will go to the polls to elect a new governor. The candidates have spent a lot of money buying TV time to tell me what a crook the other guy is. Not one of them showed up at my door throwing money. Some promise things but the Romans did things more directly. In addition to cash, Roman politicians funded games and circuses. None of the mailings from politicians I have received included World Series or NFL tickets. Most people I know have already decided who they will vote for if they bother to go vote and the winner will be the one who gets the largest turn out from his fan base. None of them have announced a buffet lunch at the polls to make me want to drag myself down there. Today we consider the Roman ways of politics to be borderline barbarous. Candidates, listen up: Your phone calls during my nap time are not helping your cause. Go Roman, send denarii!
Cool thread with some nice ancients. Who doesn't like good ole Sept. Sev.? No Liberalitas but this is amongst my favorites Septimius Severus. A.D. 193-211. AR denarius (18.73 mm, 3.20 g, 7 h). Rome mint, A.D. 200-201. SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, laureate head right / RESTITVTOR VRBIS, Septimius standing left, sacrificing out of patera over lighted altar. RIC 167a; RSC 599; BMCRE 202. Toned aVF.
