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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;The Meat man, post: 24801666, member: 135271&quot;]I got in a beautiful little denarius a few weeks ago. There is a lot to love about this coin!</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/SeptimiusSeverusdenariusNeptune.jpg.55e55a802a27093b0d963060ccc174d4.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/SeptimiusSeverusdenariusNeptune.jpg.55e55a802a27093b0d963060ccc174d4.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/SeptimiusSeverusdenariusNeptune.jpg.55e55a802a27093b0d963060ccc174d4.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p style="text-align: center"><i>Septimius Severus (AD 193-211)</i></p><p><i><p style="text-align: center"><i>AR Denarius (19.71mm, 3.70g, 12h)</i></p></i></p><p style="text-align: center"><i><i>Rome mint. Struck AD 209</i></p></i></p><p style="text-align: center"><i><i>Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head of Septimius Severus right</i></p></i></p><p style="text-align: center"><i><i>Reverse: P M TR P XVII COS III P P, Neptune standing left, foot on rock, right hand resting on upper leg, left hand holding long trident</i></p></i></p><p style="text-align: center"><i><i>References: RIC IV 228, RCV 6346</i></p></i></p><p style="text-align: center"><i><i>Ex Mark Salton Collection (1914-2005)</i></p><p></i></p><p>&nbsp;</p><p><br /></p><p>First of all, the absolute pristine condition, which is not too hard to find with Severan denarii but is pleasing nonetheless. I like the classic Septimius Severus portrait complete with curly hair and forked beard. The reverse features Neptune, god of the sea, holding his trident. I seem to recall that this may be a reference to Severus&#039; sea voyages during the time of the Caledonian conquest.</p><p><br /></p><p>I also love when the strike is centered enough, and the flan large enough, to register a complete dotted border. The reverse&#039;s border is complete, the obverse 99% so. This coin was evidently well-struck from good dies.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin has a beautiful cabinet tone, with hints of iridescence and gorgeous mint luster, difficult to catch in the photo.</p><p><br /></p><p>Another thing to like: the coin weighs an impressive <b>3.70</b> grams - as much as a full weight early Augustan denarius! The mint quality standards under the Severans were notoriously lax, and one can occasionally find heavyweight specimens like this one, but they are definitely out of the ordinary and something special.</p><p><br /></p><p>And to top it off, this coin (according to the dealer) came from the famous Mark Salton Collection. Salton (born Max Schlessinger) came from a long line of established German coin dealers, going back to the early 1800&#039;s. His father, Felix Schlessinger, ran a coin dealership until he was imprisoned and murdered by the Nazis during the Holocaust; Max and his brother managed to escape, eventually settling in America. Their story is a fascinating one - you can read more about it <a href="https://coinsweekly.com/whoswho-sammler/salton-mark/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://coinsweekly.com/whoswho-sammler/salton-mark/" rel="nofollow">here</a>.</p><p><br /></p><p>The coin came with Salton&#039;s hand-written tag:</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_obv..jpg.11c9726b66c8d0b9f632391b1836038d.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_obv..jpg.11c9726b66c8d0b9f632391b1836038d.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_obv..jpg.11c9726b66c8d0b9f632391b1836038d.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_rev.jpg.52b1c8296178cff1fa17c34e84fdb959.jpg" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_rev.jpg.52b1c8296178cff1fa17c34e84fdb959.jpg" rel="nofollow"><img src="https://content.invisioncic.com/k321387/monthly_2023_11/salton_tag_rev.jpg.52b1c8296178cff1fa17c34e84fdb959.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /></a></p><p><br /></p><p><b>I wouldn&#039;t mind your opinions on this, by the way.</b> (especially [USER=26430]@Curtis[/USER] !) As far as I know, the only thing I have to go on is the dealer&#039;s word for it. I did do some digging and found the coin had sold in a group lot earlier this year by Fritz Rudolf Künker - 6/24/2023 (Auction 390 eLive, lot 3373 (part). I believe Künker auctioned off much of the Salton Collection upon the death of Lottie Salton (Mark&#039;s wife) in 2020.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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