Severus Alexander

Yes, really. The special types are rarely someone standing there. I'm thinking of Elagabalus' chariot carrying the meteorite, Caracalla's raging oxen cart with Luna, Antoninus Pius' big sow, Probus' facing chariot of the sun, Septimius' flooded arena scene etc. Alexander has one rare slow quadriga and a lot of people standing there types. Heaven knows I have thousands of relatively boring coins as well but do we know many people that specialize in Severus Alexander?

 

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Ummm, how 'bout these two Sev Alex examples ... they're kinda cool

Pontus, Amasia. Severus Alexander. Æ35
A.D. 222-235
Civic year 228 (A.D. 228/9)
Diameter: 35 mm
Weight: 26.18 grams
Obverse: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander right, seen from behind
Reverse: High altar upon which eagle stands facing, head left; above, Sol in facing quadriga, holding whip; to left of altar, tree




CILICIA, Ninica-Claudiopolis
Severus Alexander, with Julia Maesa, Æ37
AD 222-235
Diameter: 37 mm
Weight: 17.83 grams
Obverse: , draped, and cuirassed bust of Severus Alexander right; c/m’s: Nike, holding wreath, standing right within oval incuse (3) and six-pointed star
Reverse: Laureate / Draped bust of Maesa right

 

I agree. Severus has coins we could call "geeky cool", (most of us here would be labelled coin geeks), but not non-geek cool, something that would attract non-specialists to the coin like Doug said. The Elagabalus is a good point. The only Elagabalus coins I own on purpose are coins with the meteorite.

 

Those types I can understand & agree. But I was excited for a scarcer/dated legend of his & I am not one to put a big focus on legends.

 

And that is great man. Doug gets excited by a new eastern mint SS, and I get excited by a common Sogdian piece with a cross on the reverse. Those are what I call coin geek exciting. Exciting for us, but not the general collecting public. General cool is Cleo VII, lighthouse of Alexandria, or other things people have heard of. The huge advantage coin geek items have is they are usually much cheaper than general interest pieces.

I am with you brother on how fun this is, just trying to differentiate.

 

The difference here is specialists want coins because they fit the specialty. I am irrational about my specialties and would pay extra for a boring coin I don't have. Most collectors are a bit more general so a less interesting type or lower demand ruler coin will sell for less. Beginners may not understand why one coin is $25 and another is $2500. I suggest they buy $25 coins until they figure out what areas of the hobby will cause them to be irrational. I know one coin currently in the British Museum that I'd pay $2500 for (they are not selling). It is very similar to my coin below which I consider to be worth $250 and not terribly different from some coins of Septimius Severus I consider worth $25. You will find it better to pick your own area of geekdom rather than bidding me up on mine.

The small photo below is of a plaster cast of the BM coin I want. Can you see why I consider it worth 10x the coin above?

 

Doug, for those of us who ARE ancient but like ancients, share the reason.