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Author Topic: Why are the sestertii of Septimius Severus so scarce?  (Read 1090 times)

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Offline Pharsalos

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Why are the sestertii of Septimius Severus so scarce?
« on: July 23, 2016, 11:21:58 pm »
Forgive me if this question has been raised before, but why is it that sestertii of Septimius Severus are so scarce as compared to the outputs under the 'five good emperors' and later Severus Alexander and Gordian III issues? His silver coinage is plentiful, and his reign was long and stable by the standards of the time. Many of the Septimius sestertii I see for sale are quite worn, suggesting an extended circulation and a demand for the denomination.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Why are the sestertii of Septimius Severus so scarce?
« Reply #1 on: July 24, 2016, 03:33:38 pm »
Basically, Roman sestertii are scarce from 193-222, that is from the reign of Septimius until the end of Severus Alexander's first year as emperor. From 223 on they become common again, until the denomination was more or less discontinued during the sole reign of Gallienus.

This thirty-year period of general scarcity, however, includes a twelve-year period of great rarity: sestertii of Septimius Severus and his family from 198 to 209 are all very rare, on a par with the rarity of large bronze medallions in other periods. That is why sestertii of Plautilla (202-5) or those of Geta as Caesar (198-209) are very hard to obtain. Naturally this fact makes sestertii of Septimius himself as a class appear that much rarer, since we are really dealing only with his coins struck between 193 and 197 and then again in 210 and 211, those of 198-209 all being of great rarity.

As far as I am aware, nobody really knows why sesterius production was reduced over the years 193-222, and virtually suspended from 198-209.
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Offline Pharsalos

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Re: Why are the sestertii of Septimius Severus so scarce?
« Reply #2 on: July 25, 2016, 06:29:01 am »
Hmm interesting, thank you for taking the time to respond. I guess there must be some connection to the rapid debasement of the denarius, and/or with the increased pay to the soldiers. Maybe AE issues were a civilian aimed undertaking which Severus and sons had no inclination to continue?

Offline curtislclay

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Re: Why are the sestertii of Septimius Severus so scarce?
« Reply #3 on: August 16, 2016, 09:30:37 pm »
Another anomaly: Caracalla struck almost no sestertii as TR P XVIIII = 216 AD.

Only a single sestertius of Caracalla dated TR P XVIIII is known: in my own collection, shown on Forvm about ten years ago.
Curtis Clay

 

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