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Author Topic: question on a severus alexander denarius  (Read 540 times)

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Offline ebusus

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question on a severus alexander denarius
« on: February 21, 2021, 02:24:32 pm »
hello

This is mabe a strange question...

I am usually not interested in this kind of coin.

How can we identify the Mint place of this coin ?

By default, do we say minted in Rome ?

Regards,

Laurent.

Offline curtislclay

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #1 on: February 21, 2021, 02:47:07 pm »
Yes, Rome.

One of the arguments: the same PAX AVG(VSTI) type in the same style also occurs on aurei, sestertii and middle bronzes. Branch or provincial mints usually produced only silver coins, denarii and/or antoniniani, and those in different style than Rome-mint coins.
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Offline mix_val

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #2 on: February 22, 2021, 09:38:27 am »
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Offline Ron C2

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #3 on: February 23, 2021, 07:30:49 pm »
I find the eastern mints generally have a cruder appearance to them - sometimes they even leave the impression of possibly being fakes at first glance.  FWIW.
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Offline mix_val

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #4 on: February 24, 2021, 09:14:44 pm »
I find the eastern mints generally have a cruder appearance to them - sometimes they even leave the impression of possibly being fakes at first glance.  FWIW.

Very true.  In my opinion many different mints were involved with standards varying from very good to very bad.   Makes collecting interesting though.   Just looking at Issue II coins with star in my collection, I'd say that the uniformity of style suggests that they were issued from a single mint.
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Offline Callimachus

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #5 on: February 25, 2021, 11:32:38 am »
Certainly some of the Severus Alexander portraits from Antioch are a bit crude. But many others, though, are well-engraved and quite elegant.

The portraits from the mint at Rome generally all appear to be of the same person. But the portraits from Antioch are often so different from one another that they do not look like the same boy.

Below are some composite photos of Severus Alexander denarii from Antioch in my collection that, I think, I posted here a number of years ago. They illustrate my comments above. The denarii on the first 2 pictures have the long obverse legend, the denarii on the 3rd picture have the short obverse legend.




Offline Severus_Alexander

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Re: question on a severus alexander denarius
« Reply #6 on: February 28, 2021, 11:58:12 pm »
From my notes, based upon BMC Vol. VI  pp. 8, 24, 83-87 and discussions with Curtis.

Coins produced at the Eastern Mint at Antioch (Syria) for the first two years of his reign (222 -223 AD).  Coins from this mint differ in respect to fabric, style, lettering, and reverse types.  Coins from the Antioch Mint show the following characteristics:

  • Star on the reverse field
    - A's in Legends are unbarred especially on obverse (look like upside down V's)
    - Will have a boy portrait as the coins were only minted for 222 - 223 AD.
    - Slightly smaller flan
    - Lettering more clumsy
    - Use of unusual letter forms
    - Obverse shows thin neck, compressed lips, and the annulet (pupil) is more prominent in eye (looks like eye is looking at you instead of away)
    -Leaves of the laurel wreath are parallel to each other along center line
    - More baser alloy.


The keys that I look for are first the star on the reverse, the different "A's" on the obverse, and the thin neck.

The majority of Severus Alexander coins from Antioch fall into the following categories:

Obverse       (Date)
   

Reverse     (star location)
IMP SEV ALEXAND AVG (222)    PM TRP COS Fortuna   (left)
     PM TRP COS Mars       (left)
     AEQUITAS AVG          (left)
     LIBERTAS AVG            (left)
     SALUS PUBLICA          (left)
     VICTORIA AVG           (left)
     
IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG (222)    same as all above          (left)
     
IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG (223)    PM TRP II COS Fortuna (left)
     PM TRP II COS Mars     (left)
     AEQUITAS AVG            (left)
     LIBERTAS AVG              (left)
     
IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG (223)    LIBERALITAS AVG   special issue (none)
     AEQUITAS AVG           (none)
     CONCORDIA                (none)
     LIBERTAS AVG            (none)
     NOBILITAS                    (none)
     PIETAS AVG                  (none)
     PROVID DEORUM       (none)

This chart covers most examples but newly attributed coins to the Antioch mint are being found every day.

 

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