Description
| Roman Imperial. Septimius Severus (193-211). Denarius, 201, Laodicea mint. | |
| Obverse: | L SEPT SEV AVG IMP XI PART MAX. Draped bust of Septimius Severus wearing a laurel wreath right, wearing a cuirass decorated with an aegis. |
| Reverse: | AEQV[ITA]TI AVGG. Draped Aequitas standing frontal, head to left, holding a scale in her right hand and cornucopiae in her left hand. |
| Dimensions: | AR, 3.75 g, 19 mm, 11h. |
| References: | RIC Septimius 500 var. (bust); BMC Septimius 650 var.; Cohen 22 var.; RSC 21b; Lanz auction 117 (2003), 851 (same obverse die); Heritage auction 61151 (2020), 97357 (same obverse die). |
| Condition: | Highly attractive bust-type, light toning, some deposits on the edge. Good very fine. |
| Provenance: | From a German collection established over the last 30 years. |
| Comment: | This is one of the biggest rarities in the silver coinage of Septimius Severus: A military half facing cuirassed bust of the emperor can only be found at the mint of Laodicea. One of the biggest problems during the reign of Septimius Severus was the war against the Parthians. The war devoured a lot of money that had to be minted to pay the soldiers. At the time this coin was minted, Septimius stayed in Syria, probably Laodicea. The bust shows him in military attire, presumably it demonstrated his closeness to the military. |
