New Sestertius of Septimius Severus

Septimius Severus Denarius Laodiceia Obv. Head right laureate L. SEPT. SEV. AVG. IMP XI PART MAX
Rv wreath within VOTIS DECEN NALI BVS RIC 520a 3.49 gms 18 mm

 

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Wow everyone, what a wonderful selection of great Severan coins in this thread!

@TIF , that coin is simply fantastic. What a mindblowingly detailed reverse! You might want to change your description, though. After close examination, I am pretty convinced that the animal you identified as a lion actually is an early depiction of the killer rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail:



@Limes , that's a beautiful and interesting type. A dea caelestis denarius is already high on my want list, and looking at your coin has propelled it even further up.

@Julius Germanicus, your complete (!) portrait series of Severan sestertii is truly impressive. This is by far the nicest Macrinus sestertius I have seen posted here, and probably the first time I see a sestertius of Diadumenian. Also, I very much like that all your coins have a similar type of toning. A stellar collection.

@Al Kowsky , your tetradrachm makes me regret (and possibly reconsider) my decision to stay away from provincial coinage...

A pity – I always enjoy reading your Severan-themed posts and looking at your extraordinary coin photography. That's an interesting reverse on your sestertius, though. And if I see correctly, the cuirassed bust on the obverse has a detailed depiction of Roman scale armour (lorica squamata), doesn't it? That's something I'd consider quite cool...

 

One of my problems is that I tend to find something cool about too many coins. We each make a decision choosing to look at a coins faults or at what it has to offer. Contrary to some opinions, I do not buy every cheap coin I see. I do have trouble passing up interesting cheap coins.

Two other fancier busts on Septimius' sestertii:

 

Just came across this - nice example - for some reason IMP IIII of this type appear to be more difficult to find than IMP III. I have one of each - although the IMP IIII is so worn that it is difficult to know for certain - I should check doe die matches

Beautiful Elagabalus - among others - what is on the reverse? Blake
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Thank you Blake! It is one of the very few bronzes that I bought despite it´s dark patina:



IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG - laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus right
VICTORIA ANTONINI AVG S C - Victory advancing right, holding wreath in right and palm branch in left hand
Sestertius, Rome 218 aD
20,15 gr / 30,22 mm
RIC 377; BMCRE 362; Cohen 297; Thirion (Le Monnayage d’Elagabale) 66; Sear 7582; Banti 51 (18 specimens)

 

Well I have only this one