Nothing too fancy, it goes well with my AD232 ANACS VF35 'MARS ULTOR' Sestertius... totally different style of portrait on the obverse, and a fairly distinguishable Roma seated on the reverse... compared to my ANACS one... which I am still waiting to send back to be reslabbed, preferably for a new slab that doesnt have a crack right above the emperor's head... AD228 Severus Alexander Sestertius (18.82grams) OBV: IMP SEV ALEXANDER AVG, laureate head right, slight drapery on left shoulder REV: ROMAE AETERNAE S-C, Roma seated left on shield, holding Victory & sceptre. I actually like the Mars Ultor Sestertius more, much more... just need to get it reholdered, or send it to NGC instead....
Nice coins, both. The MARS VLTOR reverse is very appealing. As Randy says, ROMA AETERNAE (eternal Rome) is nice too. Interestingly, a Roman fort dedicated to Severus Alexander and his mother, Julia Mamae, is located not too far from my home. I believe many of his coins were found there.
Nice coins, but why should they be enclosed in plastic. Ancients are ancients, they HAVE to breathe and be holded in hand ! Q
That's the first thing I thought too -- these coins are great, let them out! Handling them a little here and there won't hurt
Heh... yes I do feel the same in some cases... it's always so amazing to actually hold in your hand a coin that circulated so very long ago... an elderly man I worked for was a professor of the classics at Princeton, and used to keep a binder filled with ancient coins that he would let the students hold as he was speaking of a certain time period... I'm sure that being able to hold these pieces of history gave his students a much better understanding of what they were studying. Now... the even newer sestertius I just got is plastic free, and able to be fondled to the content of one's heart, like most of my other Romans.... Those two are the only certified Ancients I have. IMP CAES M AUR SEV ALEXANDER AUG - PONTIF MAX TRP II COS PP, S C - Providentia
I too, have Severus Alexander sestertii, and would never allow them to be slabbed. I have to touch them : Q
The local shop had a few nice sestertii of Severus Alexander I had to pass up to get a few nice sandy pantinas and a cool greek instead. This one is awsome!
I was hoping this would not turn into another discussion of slabbing ancients (I don't have any and don't plan to). The variety of Alexander types shown here is very nice with the two major style portraits show well by Cucumbor's two coins. Considering their beauty and reasonable prices, I am surprised there is not more demand for the bronzes of this period. They stay nice throught the middle of the reign of Philip I when they start to get dumpy. Alexander and Gordian III sestertii are often really nice coins for the money.
Yes, beautiful Jupiter sestertius cucumbor. I mainly collected antoninianii and imperial bronzes of Elagabalus, but couldn't pass up these sesterces at the prices. ..and I know some say 'sestertii' and some say 'sesterces' but I think most people know what is implied, whichever plural form is used....
