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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Limes, post: 4672943, member: 101013&quot;]I seem to really enjoy coins from the glory days of the Roman empire, with images referring to games. I also admire elephants, so obviously this coin was high on my want list. </p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1151559[/ATTACH] </p><p><i>(I have yet to crack it out of it&#039;s tomb!)</i></p><p><br /></p><p>During the attribution party, I found different explanations of the reverse image, explaining the occasion for which the games were held. Now, I don&#039;t have en extensive library to fully explain the meaning of the coin, and I was wondering if someone from this board could share some more insights or perhaps more recent information. The various explanatons: </p><p><br /></p><p>1. Sear mentions that the coin &#039;commemorates the emperor&#039;s provision of public spectacles for the amusement of the Roman populace&#039;. </p><p><br /></p><p>2. Van Meter states that the &#039;coin refers to games held to celebrate the victory over Albinus&#039;.</p><p><br /></p><p>3. Some auction houses, such as Berk, state that the coin &#039;commemorates the games also mentioned in the Historia Augusta that were given by Severus in mid 197 prior to his departure on his second Parthian expedition&#039;.</p><p><br /></p><p>Regarding the latter explanation, I was able to find the following passage in the Historia Augusta in relation to games and the Parthian war:</p><p><br /></p><p>&quot;He bestowed the toga virilis on his younger son, <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html#note99" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html#note99" rel="nofollow">99</a> <a href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html#note100" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="https://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Roman/Texts/Historia_Augusta/Septimius_Severus*.html#note100" rel="nofollow">100</a> 11 Then, after giving a gladiatorial show and bestowing largess upon the people, he set out for the Parthian war.&quot; (chapter or book (?) 14). </p><p><br /></p><p>I can relate explanation no. 3 to the passage in the Historia Augusta, but where do the other explanations come from? </p><p><br /></p><p>Am I missing something here? What do you think? Which is the most likely explanation? </p><p><br /></p><p>And please show your &#039;<i>games-coins</i>&#039;![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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