Septimius September!

Bithynia


Bithynia, Nicaea. Septimius Severus AE17
Obv: CEOYHPOC AVGOYCT, laureate head right.
Rev: NIKAIEWN, Amphora containing two grain ears.
17mm., 2.9g.



Bithynia, Nicomedia. Septimius Severus AE22. Hygieia
22mm and 4.2gm.
Obv. AVKLCEP CEVHROC. Bust of Severus r.
Rev. [DIC NEWK]OP - WN NIKOMHDE around, W - N across field. Hygieia standing l. feeding serpent.

Recueil général records no type of Hygieia holding and feeding serpent at Nicomedia for SS, Domna, Caracalla, or Geta.

 

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Do I see a clashed die reverse right?

 

There is definitely something going on there - die clash seems a reasonable thought to me. I find it entertaining that I can still be squinting at this coin trying to "read" it Thanks, Doug.

 

22. I always liked the coins that showed the emperor and his wife (or anyone else - see my #8 above). My coin for day 22 is my favorite with Septimius and Julia Domna. It is AE35 from Stratonicea, Caria, has a nice green patina and standing figure of Hekate (not the kind of girl you introduce to the folks?). A very ragged hole was dug (not drilled or punched) removing what we assume was once a small countermark commonly seen on these coins. Why? Was the mark considered offensive? Was it of Caracalla and hated by Geta supporters or of Geta in compliance with Caracalla's orders that his images be destroyed. We can never know.

The 'back-up' coin is the same type but minus the hole. It shows a circular countermark of a bust facing right. I need to upgrade my back-up coin to make the point more clearly.


While not of Septimius and, therefore, not appropriate for this thread, is a Caracalla and Plautilla coin of this same city showing a clear strike of a similar countermark. You will see these identified in different ways by different 'experts'. Who is it? I do not know.


This city is also famous for its coins with Geta removed discussed here several times in the past. Again, not a coin of Septimius, this makes the point that you really need to study entire issues of a time and place. All these coins were issued 'under' Septimius even if his face is not on the coin. Most of them show the round countermark that is 'missing' on my coin for today. When was it applied? When was it removed? Why?



I really like the big bronzes of Stratoninea. They come with interesting reverses and good workmanship. The better looking ones are rarely even approaching high grade. Today's coin is pretty nice --- if you like holes.

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE17 Assarion
OBVERSE: AV K L CEVHPOC, laureate bust right
REVERSE: NIKOPOL PROC IC, Draped bust of Serapis in modius, facing right
Struck at Nikopolis ad Istrum, 193-211 AD
2.6g, 15mm
Moushmov 927

 

I just love the coins with the obverse design like the ones presented by @dougsmit .
This is why my greenie from Marcianopolis is one of my favorite coins.

I have seen many in auctions (different obverse characters) but just managed to get one, already presented here.

My last Severus coin is a fourree.


It is a little unusual that the reverse still shows traces of luster.
I suspect this coin is an ancient forgery of RIC IV Septimius Severus 284
But I am not entirely convinced and what I find strange is that the one presented on OCRE also looks like a fourree.
http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.ss.284

 

We need to stop being bothered by experts who weigh coins to the thousanth of a gram, measure them to a hundredth of a millimeter but fail to record plating. They are doing us a service by posting their holdings as fast as they are. I wonder if they would react to your question asking if they would examine the coin to see if it might be plated.
I do not have a 284 but this is my 166 weighing 3.41g. It is not plated.

I prefer to reserve the word luster for coins with original surfaces and not having been harshly cleaned. I'm not sure I have any.

 

I am a big fan of OCRE and this fantastic resource helped me attribute my coins numerous times. As a beginner, I bought coins where the legends were partially visible, I didn't recognize all the portraits, deities for me were hard to distinguish in the first months and the OCRE search engine using parts of the legends was extremely helpful.

What I meant is that the 284 entry on OCRE is the only place I have ever seen this coin and it's strange that both the examples I found are fourrees.
The coin was in a lot of coins I bought, very cheap but very bad also. 3 of them complete slugs. While attributing the Severus, the only example I found with this combination of legends SEVERVS PIVS AVG / PROVID AVGG was the OCRE example.
I am starting to wonder if this coin exists, officially, with this combination of legends.

And yes, "luster" is not exactly appropriate for a fourree. My collection has 250 coins (and this number will remain like this for a while, most likely) - I think I have 2 coins with some traces of mint luster, both denarii from Hadrian and Marcus Aurelius.

 

..i'm gonna make my 2nd donation to this month of Sept. Severus coinage..i daresay Doug Smith and cohorts here could make it a year long thing
Sept. Severus denarius, rev. showing emperor with children Geta & Caracalla 18mm,3.27gms

 

September 22: A vota-issue I acquired this year. It's hard to not recognize who is standing there on the reverse.


Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 202–210 AD, Rome mint. Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: VOTA SVSCEPTA XX; Septimius Severus, veiled, togate, standing l., sacrificing out of patera in r. hand over altar. 20mm, 3.76g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 308.

 

Golly this thread is a blast! And the hits just keep coming
I'm very pleased to finally have this one in hand (purchased in mid July and stuck in customs since July 29). I'd create a thread on it, but there are so many coins in this thread that certainly could have their own. Here he is:

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS (193-211 AD). Rome mint, struck AD 197
Denarius Silver (17.2 mm 3.07 g)
Obv: L SEPT SEV PERT [AVG IMP VIIII], laureate head right.
Rev: [MVNIFICENTI]A AVG, elephant, cuirassed, advancing right.
RIC 100; BMCRE 168; RSC 349.
Very fine

 

Septemberius 22nd - a little AE from Philippopolis


Septimius Severus Æ 17
(193-211 A.D.)
Thrace, Philippopolis
AV KAI CEYHΡOC, laureate head right / ΦIΛIΠΠOΠOΛEITΩN, bunch of grapes on small stem.
Varbanov 1261; SNG Cop 777; Moushmov 5254.
(4.43 grams / 17 mm)
eBay Jan. 2020

 

Septemberius 23rd - a really worn sestertius:


Septimius Severus Æ Sestertius
(c. 195-196 A.D.)
Rome Mint
[L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VII], laureate head right, drapery on left shoulder / [DIVI M PII F P M TR P III COS II P P] S C, Roma seated left on shield, holding Victory and spear.
RIC 700 (or 671?).
(16.75 grams / 25 mm)
eBay July 2019 Lot @ $7.75
Attribution Note:
Rev.: Roma seated, with OCRE listing 8 for Severus. Only 3 are illustrated; most have the SC in the exergue.
RIC 671 and 700 have the SC in fields. RIC 700 is a guess (it seems to be more common).

 

More than that.
23. Septimius' coins from 194AD when he was out East taking care of 'business' are common from the Eastern mints which I prefer. Decent examples from the Rome mint are harder to find. Today's offering is my nicest Rome mint IMP II denarius. I'll suggest that any budding SS collector keep an eye out for nice specimens of IMPII from Rome. Well centered, well struck ones are not seen everyday.


Backup coins:
LIBERAL AVG COS (IMPII but before the January 194 consulship?)


This LIBERO PATRI has a flan flaw after IMPI that makes it hard to tell if it is IMPII or IMPIII (more common).

 

Rome mint IMP II coins are one of the few things I keep an eye out for in the background for sleepers......

This one looks like a double die match to the Victory coin above illustrated by @dougsmit


Here victory is facing the other way



I did find this one but later parted with it. One of my few sestertii. Horrible condition but scarce....

Obv:- L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP II, Laureate head right
Rev:- SAL AV[G TR P II] COS II S--C, Salus sanding left, holding sceptre and patera over alter
Minted in Rome. Early A.D. 194
Reference(s) - Cohen -. RIC - (see below)

The following information provided courtesy of Mr. Curtis Clay.
A specimen of this coin is apparently misreported in RIC, p. 182, note *. It's a rare coin, only two such included in Curtis' unpublished 1972 die study of early Severan bronze coins.
Curtis knows the same rev. type muled with both dupondius and As obv. dies of 193 (IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG). It's not impossible that a sestertius with the same type might turn up someday!
Cohen 640 exactly describes this type, though omitting the IMP II in obverse legend, and calling the coin a sestertius.

 

September 23rd: Since I am posting my Septimius coins by RIC number, things will go east towards the end of the month. This "Emesa"-denarius has a substantial gouge on the reverse but still is rather heavy. I wonder whether someone scooped off a bit of silver to "correct" an overweight flan? This method is mostly known from Republican coins.


Septimius Severus, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 194–195 AD, "Emesa" mint. Obv: IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II; head of Septimius Severus, laureate, r. Rev: MONET AVG; Moneta, draped, standing l., holding scales in extended r. hand and cornucopiae in l. hand. 18mm, 3.32g. Ref: RIC IV Septimius Severus 411A.

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AE 16
OBVERSE: AV K Λ CEVHPO, laureate head right
REVERSE: NIKOPOLITWN PROC ICTRO, crescent and one star
Struck at Nikopolis, 193-211 AD
3.1g, 16mm
Varbanov 2472, Legend D

 

Is mine an obverse die match for the top one in your post? (And the one posted by @maridvnvm ?).

This was my "Septemberius 12" posting:


Septimius Severus Denarius
(194 A.D.)
Rome Mint
L SEPT SEV PERT AVG [IMP III] laureate head right / [VICT] AVG TR P II COS II
PP, Victory advancing right, holding wreath and palm.
RIC 38A
(2.87 grams / 17 mm)
(ex-Postal Commemorative Soc.)
eBay July 2014

Here is mine and Doug's (the P and the hair tie really got me wondering):


This would be thrilling for me if it is true!

 

It's a die match.

 

Thank you for that confirmation! I am honored to have a die-link connection to the @maridvnvm and the @dougsmit collections.