A corroded example of the rarer sestertius of Divus Septimius Severus

[curtislclay]

Sestertii of Divus Septimius Severus come in two types: Funeral pyre surmounted by emperor in facing quadriga (image below), which is rare but readily obtainable with a little patience, and Eagle transporting emperor to heaven, which is substantially rarer.

So my large collection of plaster casts of Severan bronzes contains 34 Pyre sestertii, but only five Eagle sestertii, located in the following collections: BM ex my first collection, Vienna, Paris, Rome (ex Gnecchi), and formerly Vermeule, this last piece with hammered up edges (protocontorniate).

The relative rarity of these two types was already clear to Vaillant in 1674: the Pyre type, he says, is "among the rarer types", while for the Eagle type he cites the Paris specimen, and calls it "of outstanding elegance and rarity". Similarly Mionnet in 1815: he priced the Pyre type at 50 francs, but the Eagle type at 72 francs.

It must therefore be just a misprint in Cohen (1884), that is already present in his first edition (1860), when he prices the Pyre type at 80 francs, but the Eagle type at only 10 francs! Presumably he meant 100 francs for the Eagle type; and I think he would have better conveyed the relative rarity and interest of the two types if he had lowered his price for the Pyre type to Mionnet's 50 francs.

Mattingly and Sydenham, the compilers of RIC IV.1 in 1936, unfortunately just followed Cohen here, without considering how rare these two types actually were in collections and on the market: they rated the Pyre type R3 (Cohen's 80 francs), but the Eagle type only R (Cohen's 10 francs)! See p. 292, RIC 490A and 490B.

Another factor which adds to the interest of the Emperor on eagle type is that the same type does not occur on denarii, in contrast to the Pyre type which is readily obtainable on denarii (8 specimens in Reka Devnia hoard). So to acquire the Emperor on eagle type for Divus Septimius, you have to seek out the very rare sestertius, or be rich enough to afford the even rarer aureus, known I think in only a single specimen which turned up in an auction in 1998 (Calicó 2440a, with photo)!

[curtislclay]

My new specimen of the Emperor on eagle sestertius would unfortunately be a good candidate for the "Rare but Poor" thread: it is clear in most details, but worn and corroded. Ex Rauch E18, 6 Nov. 2015, lot 226; see dealer's picture below. I am willing to accept the poor condition because the coin is from a new, fourth, rev. die of the type, and because it is in some ways an upgrade from my other specimen, which is now in the BM: that coin has a better reverse, in Fine condition one could say, but has large pits on the obverse that virtually destroy the portrait.

I find in CoinArchives Pro that two other specimens of this sestertius have been on the market in the past 15 years. The first in a Gorny & Mosch sale and two other German sales of around 2004, very fine but with many small details strengthened or added by tooling; the second in e-sale 167 of CNG, June 2007, in good condition but also slightly smoothed and tooled. See pictures below.

[Joe Sermarini]

Interesting.  Thanks Curtis.

[Romanorum]

Absolutely fascinating. Thanks for the notes.