Just recieved my first coin of Severus Alexander, despite his coins being dime a dozen I've never gotten around getting one until now. Couple of reasons why I bought this coin, first it looks fantastic, in fact the best denarius in my collection condition-wise. Also the coin is an oddball weighing at 4.35g! being unusually heavy for the time period. Was this a quality control issue or did a planchet for antoninianus get mixed up? 225 AD, 19mm, 4.35 grams, unusually heavy for a third century denarius. IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander to right. Reverse - FIDES MILITVM, Fides standing front, head to left, holding two military standards. BMC 220; Cohen 52; RIC 139. Ex Incitatus Coins. Please share your Severus Alexanders or any unusually over or underweight denarii.
That's a big boy, some one was being generous at the mint when pouring the silver... It is a bit peculiar though, one would think the mint would have a strict control system in place to prevent coins getting too heavy. The system worked considering the weight range of coins, except for coins like these ('particular heavy'). So, my two cents: either someone made an error and they didn't bother melting the coin down. Or someone deliberately increased the weight and took the coin for himself, to melt it at a later moment. The perfect crime!
4,35 gr ! That's massive. I have a few coins of his. Here's one of them : Denarius - Rome mint, 232 CE IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG, laureate head right PROVIDENTIA AVG, Providentia standing left, holding cornucopia and branch, modius at feet 3.67 gr Ref : RIC # 250, Cohen # 501, RCV # 7922 (75) Q
