Septimius September!

That's a shame because your regular participation here means a lot to me. I always learn something new or interesting from your comments and posts and I'm sure I'm not the only one.

I'm very happy my Septimius Severus thread has brought you back to the board and I hope you'll stay.

 

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..good cause i'm waiting for a new(to me) denarius to arrive that needs your identification sir...(and besides, it wouldn't be the same w/o ya )

 

Glad to hear you are on board with September's Septimius rodeo, Doug! Yee ha! Keep 'em coming, please.

 

more to catch up:
4. I particularly like Alexandria mint denarii. When I only had two and inquired about this one from the British Museum, they put me in contact with Roger Bickford-Smith who offered me $250 for it. Had I accepted, I would never developed the friendship that followed up to his untimely death and, worse, the coin would have ended up in the British Museum where went most of his coins following his death. BMC considered the coin a mule with reverse of Pertinax. Roger knew better. I miss him.



5. Staying with the RAB-S theme, This coin was sold in the sale of his lesser coins as would seem appropriate to everyone concerned but me. It was a relatively ordinary legionary denarius of the only slightly scarce LEG XXII variation from Rome. RAB-S told me in a letter once that this was the first coin he bought of Septimius Severus after he decided to specialize in SS. It was not his first SS but it was what he bought first when he went to a shop (Spink) and asked to see SS. They suggested it was a coin worth having. I agree. It is not the nicest of my three LEG XXII (plain) denarii but it is the one I like best because of its provenance.


6. Someone once told me there were only a half dozen of the rare LEG XXII PRI, Rome mint, type. That was not true; then, I only had the one with the hole but, since, I have seen at least twice that many. People who tell you something is rare usually forget to mention that they have not looked hard enough. I only have five. They may be the worst five??? All mine are the same obverse die but there is another (on my want list). Of those I have seen, fewer than half have even most of the reverse legend. I believe, right or wrong, that while these coins may have been made in Rome they were shipped wholesale to Germany where the legion they honored was located. It would be nice to know where all the known specimens were found. We are still waiting for someone to find a pot with 30,000 of them buried somewhere up North.


7. (Today) I could not choose which of my Legionaries is my favorite. One near the top of the group is my only Rome mint example from LEG III ITAL. Mint State? No, I'd call it VF but it is just a pretty coin by my standards. It is well struck and has nice capricorns. I'll take well struck over mint state any day! I consider any legionary with full legends better than any with only part no matter what the wear grade might be.


I have sincere doubts this thread will last the whole month but I know two of us not only have thirty but could continue through all of 2022. Septimius is an easy obsession. I started because sensible collectors turned their noses up at his coins and only wanted coins of the first century (either BC or AD). Today there are more people who specialize in flyspecking Late Roman.

 

This is my final Septimius Severus, so I'm afraid that after this I'm out (very early compared to a number of you; see Doug's comment above) -- unless people start posting members of his family, which would permit me to continue for a while!

Divus Septimius Severus, AR Denarius 211 AD, Rome Mint (struck under Caracalla). Obv. Bare head right, DIVO SEVERO PIO / Rev. Eagle standing three-quarters right on globe, head left, with wings spread and tail showing beneath wings to left, CONSECRATIO. RIC IV-1 Caracalla 191C, RSC III Severus 84a, Sear RCV II 7051 (ill. at p. 545). 19 mm., 3.28 g.

 

This is common with a Laureate head but less so draped and cuirassed.

Obv:– L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind
Rev:– AEQVITA-TI AVGG, Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopia
Minted in Laodicea ad Mare. A.D. 201
Reference(s) – RIC IV -; BMCRE -; RSC 22a

Different dies to Arnold lot 5 and Barry Murphy SEV-169.

2.57 gms, 18.24 mm. 330 degrees

 

Here's a lion on a fun little provincial from Philippopolis.


Septimius Severus, AD 193-211.
Roman Provincial Æ (diassarion?) 17.7 mm; 4.06 g.
Thrace, Philippopolis.
Obv: ΑV Κ Λ CΕVΗΡΟC, laureate and draped bust right.
Rev: ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΕΙΤ-ΩΝ, lion walking left; ox's head before.
Refs: Moushmov 5274 var. (lion walking right); Varbanov 1305.

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIIII, laureate head right
REVERSE: HECVLI DEFENS, Hercules standing half-right, resting on club, holding bow, lion's skin over arm
Struck at Rome, 197 AD
3.1g, 17mm
RIC 97, RSC 212, BMC 218
Comment: Struck to invoke the protection of Hercules against the revolt of Clodius Albinus.

 

Septimius September 8th - I'm hoping to win the most ghastly portrait award for this one:


Septimius Severus Æ 21
(c. 193-211 A.D.)
Pisidia, Antioch
[L SEPT SE]V PER[T AVG IMP], radiate head right / ANT[IOCH F]ORT[VNA CO]LON, Tyche standing left, holding branch and cornucopiae.
SNG France 1120; Mionnet Supp. 7, 30.
(3.68 grams / 21 mm)
eBay Dec. 2019

 

A couple more for Septimiber.
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.



Pontus, Amasia. Septimius Severus AE28
Obv: AY KAI Λ CEΠT CEOYΡOC ΠEΡ CEB, laureate, draped bust right.
Rev: AΔ CEY ANT AMACIAC MHT NE ΠΡ ΠON ET CH, Eagle standing facing, wings spread, on altar of Zeus Stratios with tree at left.

 

8. Of my Provincials featuring Septimius, I believe I am most fond of the one I most recently acquired (June 2020) showing Septimius face to face with his Caesar Clodius Albinus. This AE25 of Pautalia came to me from PeteB and is the only coin I have showing both the Augustus and a man with whom he would later wage war for control of the Empire. The reverse depicts a snake at an altar. Yes, the coin is rather worn. How does it compare to the others you find online?
Varbanov 4866 (this coin)

 

Now that is a great coin. So full of history.

 

I mainly focus on the eastern silver of Septimius Severus. I less frequently venture into Rome mint silver and even less frequently Rome mint bronze.

Septimius Severus AE As

Obv:- L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP IIII, laureate head right
Rev:- MARS PATER, Mars walking right holding spear and trophy
Minted in Rome. A.D. 194
Reference:- BMC 527A. RIC IV 683 (Rated R). Cohen 313 (4 Fr).

 

9. Since maridvnvm ventured away from the Easterns we both favor, I'll join and post a Rome mint bronze. The coin is unusual for my collection in several ways. Most of my sestertii demonstrate my preference for worn coins with smooth surfaces. This has almost no wear but is finely textured or very evenly rough. It has some strange, raised parallel ridges on the reverse right of the figure and others that curve above it continuing down the left side ending under his feet. On the obverse the straight ridges are behind the head and curved right of the face. The coin is well centered and has full legend (although some letters are compromised by the texture, they are still legible). I only bought the coin because it is the scarce Saeculum Frugiferum standing left, SAECVLO FRVGIFERO TRP COS (II?) SC type from 193-4? (RIC 655 or 664?) which I lacked. I believe this reverse was abandoned by Septimius and turned over to Clodius Albinus for whom it is common. Unfortunately I am unsure if the die was dated COSII or COS with some residue from double striking reverse right. The spacing just does not fit. It is a strange piece. I can not help thinking that this coin would be an excellent candidate for tooling turning it into an EF with smooth surfaces and a four digit price tag. Sadly, in the current market, it would be more popular that way.

 

Septimius Severus coin number 3 for me.


Moesia Inferior. Nikopolis ad Istrum. Septimius Severus AD 193-211.
Bronze Æ
16 mm., 3,14 g.
Obv. AV KAI CE CEVHPO, laureate head right:
Rev. NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠΡOC ICTPO, coiled snake, head erect facing right.
AMNG I 1418; Varbanov 1961

This was a pure impulse purchase. Saw it in an auction live, liked it, especially the reverse, I was the only bidder, bought it for starting price, end of story.

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIII - Laureate head right
REVERSE: ADVENTI FELICISSIMO, Severus on horseback right raising hand
Struck at Rome, 196 AD
3.4g, 17mm
RIC 74, S 6256, C 6

 

Septemberius 9th - a very pitiful limes denarius.

Despite the obvious problems, this has the very rare OVID poet's reverse, seldom found in any condition. The reverse figure is Rehabilitatia, the goddess of restored literary reputations. According to the Historia Augusta and the eBay auction from whence this coin came, Julia Domna, a big fan of Ovid's racier poetry, was the agent for her husband's revoking of Augustus's banishment of the poet nearly two centuries earlier and the return of his ashes to Rome, commemorated on this coin...


Septimius Severus
Limes Denarius
(200-201 A.D.)
Rome Mint?
[SEVER]VS AVG PAR[T MAX], laureate head right / [PR]OVID AVGG, Providentia
standing half-left, holding wand over globe to left and sceptre.
RIC 166; RSC 586
(1.90 grams / 18 x 12 mm)
eBay Sep. 2019

A close-up of its snapped-off edge:


For any beginners out there, I made up the Ovid part.

Here's a link to Ovid's banishment: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exile_of_Ovid

 

Well ... that's a perfect segue to this one! Ovid was banished to Tomis. Here's one of Septimius Severus from Tomis!!


Septimius Severus, AD 193-211.
Roman provincial diassarion, AE 21.2 mm, 6.30 g, 7 h.
Moesia Inferior, Tomis.
Obv: ΑY Κ Λ CΕ CΕΥΗΡΟC Π, laureate head, right.
Rev: ΜΗΤΡ ΠΟΝ ΤΟΜЄΩC, Asklepios standing facing, head left, holding serpent-entwined staff and with left hand on hip, B in left field.
Refs: AMNG 2781-85 var.; BMC 3.56,18 var.; Varbanov 4826 var.; Sear 2125 var.

 

Glad your test failed, and I hope you can tune out the noise and enjoy the rest - I always appreciate your contributions, insights, and thoughtful challenges.

Nice pile on thread @Roman Collector. I am just discovering this thread almost 1/3rd of the way through September, so I'll start with my largest Septimius.

Here's a FORTVNAE REDVCI, Fortuna the "home bringer", commemorating Septimius' safe return to Rome from the West (Gaul) in 196 AD. Septimius Severus defeated Clodius Albinus in Feb 196 at the Battle of Lugdunum.

Septimius Severus, AD 193-211, Æ Sestertius, Rome mint, struck AD 196
Obv: SEPT SEV PERT AVG IIMP VIII. Laureate head right
Rev: FORTVNAE REDVCI, Fortuna seated left, holding rudder and cornucopia; wheel below seat, S C in exergue
Ref: RIC IV 720a
Ref: With thanks to @curtislclay and a discussion in forum, providing an overview of evidence that Feb 19, 196 (not 197) is the date of Clodius Albinus' defeat.

 

Another thanks to @curtislclay for confirming my attribution of this coin from Nicomedia!


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