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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;dougsmit, post: 2402115, member: 19463&quot;]Sorry I missed seeing this before it went through all the bad information but the correct answers still got here before I did.&nbsp; I do not live online but my wife thinks I do so I get it from both sides.</p><p><br /></p><p>Septimius Severus was one of three generals who rose in opposition to the sale of the empire to Didius Julianus following the murder of Pertinax in 193 AD.&nbsp; Septimius styled himself as the avenger of Pertinax and used his name on coins of the early period.&nbsp; Civil Wars arose to determine which general would have the honor of saving Rome.&nbsp; Septimius won.&nbsp; This coin is dated&nbsp; COS II referring to the second consulship which Septimius held in 194 AD.&nbsp; The coin could be made that year or the next because Septimius did not hold a consulship every year.&nbsp; This coin is from Emesa in Syria where a mint was set up to provide coins for the army activities in that region against Pescennius Niger.&nbsp; A few of us really strange types specialize in the Eastern coins from this period.&nbsp; There are many types and even more variations.&nbsp; This one is one of the most common.&nbsp; In general, I consider Emesa mint coins &#039;better&#039; than the common Rome mint issues but they are hardly rare as a group.&nbsp; A few varieties are known by just a few (or one) example.&nbsp; I prefer toned coins but would not bet this one was hot assisted in retoning after cleaning.&nbsp; This makes a lot less difference with ancients since all are cleaned.&nbsp; Some were cleaned long ago and some yesterday.&nbsp; Some retone slowly and some get help.&nbsp; Modern collectors will get over this toning business in a few decades when all their wonderful colors go gray.&nbsp; This coin is only moderately appealing to me because of the small flan losing legends.&nbsp; The one John Anthony posted is much better.&nbsp; Modern coins don&#039;t have as many factors to consider since they all start with the legends on flan and well centered (unless they are classed as errors).&nbsp; It is still a nice coin and very collectible.&nbsp; Some of my coins from the period are on my page but I have not added much there since I wrote those pages in 1997.</p><p><a href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/mintsyr.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/mintsyr.html" rel="nofollow">http://www.forumancientcoins.com/dougsmith/mintsyr.html</a>[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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