Septimius September!

September 19th. The title "restitutor urbis" (restorer of the city) for the emperor is a Severan innovation:

Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 200–201 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS AVG PART MAX; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: RESTITVTOR VRBIS; Septimius Severus, in military attire, standing l., sacrificing out of patera in r. hand over tripod and holding spear in l. hand. 20mm, 3.24g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 167A.

 

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20. Those of us who like to look for die matches appreciate things like die breaks that make things easier. This relatively scarce IIC obverse has the V of SEV eliminated by a chunk of the die missing. The reverse commemorates the fortunate re-return of Septimius. FORTVNAE REREDVC - Fortuna has a small ball.


Above is my coin for day 20 but it brought a few friends all showing seated Fortuna (standing will have to wait for another day).

first obverse legend (AVG) FORTVNAE REDVCI - What is Fortuna holding?


same IIC obverse die but worn / FORTVNAE REDVCI Fortuna holds a branch.


COII with rudder


COS II with rudder


with branch FORT BEDVC


'Laodicea' used the type also:

IMP----II with the II way over next to the start of the legend


IMP II FORT RDEVC


IMPVII-I FORT REDVC


There are more variations of Fortuna seated than we can imagine. A few might recall it was my offering for day 2.

 

@dougsmit has illustrated several coins that appeal to me immensely and resonate with my way of collecting.

His first coin with the broken die sits within one of my collecting themes. I have coins that I suspect sit either side of the chronology of the FORTVNAE REREDVC coin illustrated above, which I suspect is holding a branch....

Here are a few showing the progression of the die break.....

FORTVNAE REDVCI - Fortuna with branch
I suspect this one is slightly earlier in the strike sequence as the die break is not yet fully manifest but part of the V is missing

CERER FRVG - contemporary with Doug's coin?

FORTVNAE REDVCI (same reverse die as above) but die break more progressed

MARTI VICT - die break spreading even further

VICTOR IVST AVS (sic) - die break further still, now encroaching on the P

 

@dougsmit

I think that your CO II is in fact a COS I with the S being vague on your example but is visible(ish) on my example of the die

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG - Laureate head right
REVERSE: VICT AVG TR P COS - Victory advancing left, holding wreath and palm
Struck at Rome, 193-194 AD
2.8g, 17mm
RIC 22, BMC 30, S 6369, C 682

 

Septemberius 20th - another Victory denarius, Rome mint, I think:


Septimius Severus Denarius
(197-198 A.D.)
Rome Mint
L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP X, laureate head right / VICT AVGG COS II PP, Victory walking left, holding wreath in right hand, palm in left.
RIC 120c; RSC 694.
(2.87 grams / 17 mm)
eBay Aug. 2018

 

maridvnvm's VICTOR IVST AVS coin really upsets the traditional dating scheme for these. It is a reverse die match with my coin below which uses the so called 'first legend' ending in AVG and traditionally dated to 193 since it has no mention of the second Consulship SS held in 194. It is possible that this (very long lived) die was in use on New Year's day 194 and bridged the gap making IIC very early in the 194 group. However, it is also possible and more likely IMO that all this means is that this mint used these dies randomly assorting whatever was available on any given day so to sequence them we will have to consider things like die wear/deterioration. The problem comes when we see his coin having the most advanced state of the V cud used with a reverse previously believed to be earlier. There is also the matter that we have a very high number of different reverses used with the same obverse (at least a dozen in one case). This fuels my belief that this mint secured separately obverse and reverse dies each day and made no effort to combine them in the same way the next morning. We don't know much beyond the fact that the traditional (BMC/RIC) system is flawed beyond repair.


While I was considering showing the last coin above sometime this month, it comes as a bonus here for a different reason. It ranks as one of my favorite coins because it is a die duplicate of the British Museum coin that defines BMC 338 but is listed with reverse ending AVG due to their assuming incorrectly given their coin which has a small flan and loses that letter. We all know to assume invites danger. The question I have then is whether BMC 338 is what they show in the text or on the plate. There are other dies (see below) that actually do read AVG so they do match the text for BMC 338. The coin above came to me from the Bickford-Smith collection so I am doubly happy to have it. Rodger knew of the error. His death set back the study of these coins considerably.
Thanks to maridvnvm for giving me the excuse to use these last coins as day 20 supplementary posts making room for something else at the end of the month. Both maridvnvm and I could be classified as a tad obsessive when it comes to Septimius. He has more than I do so that makes me the less obsessive of us. Right?

 

Septimius from Arabia Petraea.


Arabia Petraea, Petra. Septimius Severus AE22
Obv: Laureate bust right.
Rev: Tyche seated l., on rock outcropping, extending hand and holding trophy.



Arabia Petraea, Petra. Septimius Severus. AE22
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Septimius Severus right.
Rev: Tyche seated left on rocks, extending hand with stele and holding trophy, within distyle shrine.



Arabia Petraea, Rabbathmoba. Septimius Severus AE28.
Obv: AVT KAI L CE[P CEOVP CE]B, laureate head right.
Rev: RABBAQ M W NA.., cult statue of Ares(Greek god of war), standing facing, holding spear, shield, and sword, set upon basis set on plinth.
28mm, 9.9gms.

 

This type was likely minted to celebrate Septimius Severus' sea voyage to Britain in 208 AD. There is some bitter irony in this: he was never to return from this campaign. Septimius Severus died at York (Eboracum) in 211 AD, one year after this coin was struck:


Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, denarius, 210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: P M TR P XVIII COS III P P; Neptune, naked except for cloak over l. shoulder and r. arm, standing l., r. foot set on globe, holding trident in l. hand. 19 mm., 3,54 g Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 234.

 

My 6th Severus coin - will leave the last one, a fourree, at the end.




17 mm, 2,29 g
RIC IV Septimius Severus 266 (denarius)
Date Range: AD 202 - AD 210
Obverse Legend: SEVERVS PIVS AVG
Type: Head of Septimius Severus, laureate, right
Portrait: Septimius Severus
Reverse Legend: INDVLGENTIA AVGG IN CARTH
Type: Dea Caelestis, draped, riding right on lion, holding thunderbolt in right hand and sceptre in left hand; below, water gushing from rock

I like this denarius. I know it is common (I saw it posted in this thread, by @Bing if I remember correctly) but I like the reverse design.

 

21. Minerva and her friends also named Minerva:
The original idea of this 30 days has Septimius thread appealed to me and I posted on coin a day for a while but lately I have seen connections that made me want to show 'back-up' coins. Septimius is my 'thing'. I have collected his coins for quite a while and have shown on the first two days coins I have had since I was in high school. Today my post shows one of my favorite goddesses in several variations. Minerva is not one of the most common types for Septimius Severus coins but she exists in considerable variation from the 'Emesa' mint and as a token type from Rome and Alexandria. Wake up 'Laodicea' where is your Minerva? Maybe I have just missed it. If so, I expect maridvnum to have one and correct my error. That, after all, is what we are here for: education. Some may note that I am not particularly interested in spoon feeding text book identifications complete with catalog numbers. Those who want numbers can look them up themselves; I have them recorded in my database but I have not memorized which ones are in which book in every case. I am an amateur. We will start with denarii from 'Emesa' and one has been selected to be my official post for day 21. Why? I like the coin but it is not my favorite Minerva coin. Those who have read my posts over the last decade could know which one that is. Having driven off those who want short posts, we begin:
Septimius Severus, 'Emesa', MINERVI CTRIC - Minerva standing left with spear and shield


Back-ups from 'Emesa':
COSI - PEPT - brandishing short spear MINFP VICT
This coin shares the obverse die of my #1. So do quite a few other reverses.


wrist on hip - no shield - VINER VICT..


holding small Victory

holding owl

MINERVI CTRIS


From Rome:


From Alexandria:


Two representatives from the Provincials (there are others but these fill out the ten allowed for this post)
Callatis, Moesia, 4 assaria (AE26) - holding owl


Silandris, Lydia, AE24 - holding owl ( I like owls)
I made a mistake sorting and accidentally sold this one when I meant to be selling another coin. One of you benefitted from my stupidity. I do not know its current location. I have seen a half dozen others but never replaced it.


I like Minerva.

 

In response to @dougsmit 's seated Fortuna types I thought I would copy where necessary and add some others if/where I can.....

I have a double die match to the "AVG" issue coin but in a cross over of topics mine looks to have been minted later and shows the development of a die break above the B on the reverse...



I have already shared my II C examples but will insert a II CO - FORTVNAE REDVCI, holding branch (Pax?) type



I have a couple from the "PEPT(sic) AVG COS - II" die which is often mis-read as COS and has had much debate about the visibility and intent on the two IIs below the bust

Nothing visible below bust:-

Small, thin IIs visible below bust


Shortened legend "IMP CA L SE SEV PER AV COS II" with Rudder

COS I-I with rudder

Same obverse die with branch

COS II, FORTVN R-EDVC, holding long palm and cornucopia


Now on to "Laodicea" IMP II
PERTE..... IMP II, FORT RDEVC, Rudder

PERET..... IMP II, FORT RDEVC, Rudder (my only slabbed example)

PERTE..... IMP II, FORTV RDEVC, Rudder

PERET..... IMP II, FORT RDEVC, Branch

PERT..... IMP II, FORT RDEVC, cornucopia and sceptre


"Laodicea" early IMP VIII
IMP VIII, FORT REDVC, Rudder (the standard type)


IMP VIII, FORTA REDVC, Rudder

SEVER PERT AVG IMP VIII, FORTA EDVC or FORT REDVC (R corrected from A), Rudder

IMP VIII, FORTV [RE]DVC, branch

 

September 21: This popular type probably is a reference to Septimius Severus having granted Carthage the ius Italicum in 203/204 AD. My example was given to me by an anonymous and extremely generous Secret Saturn in 2019. It remains one of my favorite Severan coins:


Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 202–210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: INDVLGENTIA AVGG IN CARTH; Dea Caelestis, draped, riding r. on lion, holding thunderbolt in r. hand and sceptre in l. hand; below, water gushing from rock. 19mm, 3.32g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 266.

 

Doug has a much wider variety of Minerva than me with a host of types to be envious of. I have a few coins to flesh the types out a bit further.

II CO, Minerva seated


"Laodicea" - IMP II, MINER VICTRIC, Minerva standing left, holding sceptre, resting right hand on shield

"Laodicea" - IMP VIII - same type

SEVER PERT AVG IMP VIII, same type

 

Wow, @dougsmit and @maridvnvm have quite the subcollection of Minerva and Fortuna types!!!

I've always liked Cybele; it's a shame she doesn't appear as frequently on Roman imperial issues as the other goddesses, but that's to be expected because she's an eastern goddess.

You might think I've posted this one earlier in this thread, but I haven't. It's just that these coins were struck at a common mint and then distributed to the various cities around the Black Sea region, so there is a certain sameness to them. The earlier post was from Anchialus; this one is from Marcianopolis.


Septimius Severus, AD 193-211
Roman provincial AE 27.38 mm, 12.46 g, 1:00
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis. Magistrate Julius Faustinianus, AD 207-210
Obv: AV Λ CЄΠΤΙ CЄVHPOC, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev: VI ΦAVCTINIANOV MAΡKIANOΠOΛITΩN, Cybele enthroned left, holding patera, resting left arm on drum, a lion reclines at each side of throne
Refs: AMNG Ia 565; Varbanov 780; Hristov & Jekov Marcianopolis 6.14.31.15; Moushmov 382.

Cybele DOES appear on coins of Julia Domna in the imperial series. These two represent different issues if Hill is to be believed. His dating and even relative chronology has to be taken with a grain of salt, however.


Julia Domna, AD 193-211.
Roman AR denarius, 2.84 gm, 17.5 mm, 6 h.
Rome, AD 198, issue 1.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right.
Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele enthroned left, flanked by two lions, holding branch and resting elbow on drum; no scepter.
Refs: RIC 565; BMCRE 54-55; RCV --; RSC 126a; Hill 340; CRE --.

Hill reports the variety with the scepter was issued in AD 200 and assigns it its own catalog number. RIC, BMCRE and RSC assign it separate numbers as well. Unlike the above example, this coin is listed in Cohen, Sear and in Temeryazev & Makarenko:


Julia Domna, AD 193-211.
Roman AR denarius, 3.41 gm, 18.5 mm, 11 h.
Rome, AD 200, issue 9.
Obv: IVLIA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and draped bust, right
Rev: MATER DEVM, Cybele enthroned left, flanked by two lions, holding a branch and scepter, resting elbow on drum.
Refs: RIC 564; BMCRE 51-53; RCV 6593; Cohen/RSC 123; Hill 344A; CRE 306.

Cybele (uncharacteristically) appears standing on this issue.


Julia Domna, issued under Caracalla
Roman AR Denarius
Rome mint, AD 212
3.05 gm; 19.15 mm
Obv: IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG, bare-headed and draped bust, r.
Rev: MATRI DEVM, Cybele standing l., holding drum and scepter, leaning on column, lion at feet.
RIC 382; Sear 7104; BMCRE 14; Hill1329

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE27
OBVERSE: AV K L CEP CEVHPOC, laureate and cuirassed bust right
REVERSE: OVLPIANWN AGXIALEWN, city gate, flanked by two battlemented towers, four arches on wall; N in ex.
Struck at Anchialus, Thrace, 193-211 AD
27mm
Varbanov 205

 

That looks like an obverse die-match to this one with a Cybele reverse in my numophylacium!

 

That die was used a lot or we have a hoard that includes many of them. It is familiar.

When making those dies, the idea of planning ahead never came up. When they ran out of room on the edge, they went to the exergue.


Anchialus made that basic type for years. On the earlier one below the end of the city name was continued into the exergual space without flipping the letters over. It was their mint; they did things as they saw fit. Was the gate remodeled or was the whole thing just in the cutter's imagination?

 

Septemberius 21st - I too have one of those city gates from Anchialus, but a very poor specimen...


Septimius Severus Æ 26
(193-211 A.D.)
Thrace, Anchialus
[AV K Λ] CЄΠT CЄVHPOC, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / OVΛΠIANΩN AΓXIAΛΕΩN, city gate, with open door, three arches and two towers, with windows.
Varbanov 204.
(8.50 grams / 26 mm)
eBay Oct. 2019

 

An ugly coin with no resale value, however it is also a lifetime treasure of an 11 year old awestruck by the thought that this was the coin for a Roman emperor many centuries ago. Squinting, trying hard to see the words and figures and imagining...

The Roman Empire, Septimius Severus, 193 – 211, Rome, struck 195 AD, AR denarius, 2.43g
Obv: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP V, laureate head of Septimius Severus right
Rev: P M TR P III COS II PP, Minerva standing left with spear and shield
Ref: RIC 61