Septimus Severus AR Denarius

It took me quite a while to ID this one.
When I got it, there was some corrosion on both obv and rev. I believe I have got it under control, still needs a little more soaking.

Septimius Severus AR Denarius. 197 AD.

Obv: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VIIII, laureate head right
Rev: P M TR P V COS II P P, Genius, naked, standing half-left, holding patera, sacrificing over altar, and corn ears.

RIC IV-1, 105; Cohen 437.


Post your Septimus Severus

 

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nice Septimus denarius, looks more like a modius with corn ears then an altar.

 

Great coins, fellas



Congrats on the new OP-addition, Pickin'-n-Grinin' ... winner

Ummm, I only have 2 Sep-Sev examples ...

=> they're humble, but they're a couple of my favourites ... cozy & cool

AE Sestertius



AR Denarius

 

Had to look up what a Modius with corn ears was, and I agree.

 

Cool posts guys!!

Hmm, it is definitely 'genius' sacrificing, and it definitely looks more like a modius than an altar...yet I can't seem to find that appropriate combo. All I see is Genius and an altar and Annona with a modius. I'm probably just missing it.

Anyway, here's one of my favorite denarii with the reclining Africa reverse;

Ric 254;19mm,2.45 grams, scorpion and modius, Rome mint 207 AD:

 

As a Severan specialist I thought I had better show something I haven't shown here for a while.

There is a small Issue from "Laodicea-ad-Mare" in A.D. 198 which comes from a single obverse die. It comes with three known reverse types.

Septimius Severus denarius

Obv:– L SEP SEVERVS PER AVG PIV IMP XI PAR P M, laureate head right
Rev:– AR AD [T]R P VI COS II P P, Victory walking left, holding wreath in right hand, palm in left
Eastern mint. A.D. 198
Reference:– BMCRE page 280 *, citing RD page 105. RIC 494a corr.



Rev:– SALVTI AVGG, Salus seated left feeding snake coiled around altar
Reference:– BMCRE page 281 Note, citing RD page 102. RIC 497b corr



Rev:– AR AD TR P VI / COS II P P, Two captives seated back to back at the foot of a trophy
Reference:– BMCRE page 280 Sword, citing RD page 105. RIC 494b corr.



All three are Rare with all the major references citing individual coins from the Reyka Devnia hoard.

Martin

 

Nice clean up job Pickin and Grinin, well worth saving nice looking coin, the only Septimius Severus I own are provincial
AE Heliopolis, Syria, Temple of Jupiter,24mm, 15.56gm. BMC 290,2 Thrace, Augusta Traiana, city gate, 29mm, 15.4gm, Varbanov 961. Nikopolis Ad Istrum, city gate with arched building within, 27mm, 13.39gm, Moushmov 931.

 

Do you have a before image? I would love to see from what to what you have accomplished. I like Sep Sev coins. I have a ton of 'em (not as many as Martin or Doug). So here are a couple:

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: SEVERVS PIVS AVG - Laureate head right
REVERSE: P M TRP XV COSIII P P - Africa standing right, resting hand on hip and holding grain ears; lion to right
Struck at Rome, 207 AD
2.7g, 18mm
RIC 207a, BMC 531, C 493

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP IMP II, Laureate bust right
REVERSE: BONA SPES, Spes advancing left holding flower and lifting skirt
Struck at Laodicea, 194 AD
3.1g, 18mm
RIC 4a, SS 444, p. 151
Ex Doug Smith collection, #892; ex JAZ Numismatics

 

Here are the before. It wasn't terrible but more than distracting. The only thing I did was soak it in distilled water and use a thorn and plastic pics, on the check and beard and between the legs, rev.
The only thing I don't like is the soaking removed some of the dirt that was adding some color.

 

Well, it looks better.

 

Rome mint, AD 210
3.07g; 18.2 mm.
Obv: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate bust, right.
Rev: VICTORIAE BRIT, Victory seated left on shield, resting another shield on knee and holding palm in left.
Refs: RIC 335; Cohen 731; BMCRE 61-62; Hill 1135; RCV 6385,
Commemorates Roman success in northern Britain, although Severus died in York in 211.

 

My only Sept Sev.
By way of Secret Saturnalia. I'll add others soon enough.
This one is in my stash to reshoot.

Varb. 1307

Glad to see ya coming around Phil,

 

My only Septimus Severus:


RI Septimus Severus 193-211 AR Denarius Genius Sacrificing

 

The OP coin is a great example of a question I asked here a week or two ago. When a coin was made by a mint that simply did not care when it comes to good workmanship, what faults do we prefer. This coin is off center the way I would prefer since it is obviously Septimius Severus from the portrait and reverse but it has a bold strike of the dating device IMP VIIII so it is fully attributable. Were it the opposite and had the full left side legend L SEPT SEV PERT but missing the right side we would be dateless and not attributed to catalogs since the type comes in IMP VIII, VIIII (as here) and X versions. Do you care? Would you rather just have a coin with the name that can not be identified fully? Either answer is OK. I prefer the coin as it is. Certainly we all would prefer a coin with full legends and there are some coins of this type that got lucky but it is not a period when you can expect it on every coin.

I do not have one to show with opposite centering because I discriminate against them. I will show a different reverse type with date IMP VIII. What? You say you can't read the date on the obverse following IMP? You are right but the right side obverse legend is duplicated on the reverse running up the middle of the figure of Fortuna "AVG IMP VIII". THe coin is a flip over double strike error and the second, far off center strike erased the obverse VIII but gives us one in trade on the reverse. Did I mention the mint at this period was not well known for caring about their work? This coin would have been a decent example but it just got unlucky in the rush to knock out too many coins in too much of a rush.

 

Neat pickup! Everyone could do with a Sep Sev or three.

Another Genius reverse.


I'm not much of a cleaner, but this one benefited from a little application of diluted lemon juice, mainly on the obverse.
Before:

After:

 

Nice one @Pickin and Grinin - and everyone else! As usual, Doug brought up some very good points to think about, coupled with an unusual and interesting coin.

Man, I love those provincials @Ancient Aussie !

Since we're doing denari...my only one and one of the coins that turned me into a "serious" ancient collector:


Septimius Severus , AD 193-211
AR Denarius, 3.3g, 20mm; 1h; Rome, AD 209
Obv.: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev.: PM TRP XVII COS III P P; Neptune standing left, holding a trident, foot on globe

 

nice coins, here is my septimius severus. it's supposed to be a denarius, but it's almost totally black. winged victory reverse

 

There is some AE bronze denarius.
Also I have a couple of black AR denarius.

 

you know, that's right! it is an ae, it was marked as a "limes" denarius, i didn't know(or forgotten) what that meant till now. thanks!

 

Great coins all.