Septimius Severus sestertius help

[ecoli]

Recently, I picked this up(dealer pic)..I think Ric iv has it as 746?

Can someone confirm as I can't find an example online. 27mm 18.7g

[mauseus]

Hi,

The are two RIC entries, depending on the ending of the obverse legend; RIC 740a (IMP VIIII) and RIC 746 (IMP X). Looking at the spacing of the legend on mine (pictured below), ie where the M of IMP is, mine is the earlier one.
 
Curtis may be able to help with die identities to differentiate between the two, if you show a  larger picture, as the legend looks to be missing on your obverse.

Regards,

Mauseus

[ecoli]

Thank you.  I will post larger pictures when I receive
it from post.

[curtislclay]

IMP VIII also occurs, RIC 728.

A common type on denarii (IMP VIII or VIIII only, not also IMP X), but rare on sestertii, since the sestertius production had been cut back considerably the year before (late 196), though not yet to the point of being virtually discontinued as was the case from early 198 to 209. In 1972 I knew only five sest. rev. dies for this PROFECTIO AVG type with all obv. varieties, and I think no new rev. dies have turned up since then.

Mauseus, it would be a great help if you could send me a plaster cast of your specimen, so I can identify the dies. A fair amount of detail is visible in the photo, I think the rev. is my r500, but a cast would allow me to confirm that and hopefully also identify the obv. die.

I'll wait for the larger images before making a serious attempt to identify the dies of ecoli's example!

[mauseus]

Hi Curtis,

Mea culpa, I promised a cast of another Severus sestertius of mine too. This time I will deliver.

Regards,

Mauseus

[curtislclay]

Great, thanks!

Expect a PM with my mailing address. Maybe you have the old one, we moved 18 months ago.

[ecoli]

Now coin in hand and larger picture

[ecoli]

Bump

[curtislclay]

The obverse die is still a problem. The lack of legend makes the ID difficult, since the relationship between letters of the legend on the one hand and details of the portrait on the other is one of the most useful criteria!

I think the reverse is my r503, known to me in 1972 with o340 (IMP VIIII) and o341 (IMP X).

Your obverse die could be o341, but I can't exclude a number of other obv. dies, including some with IMP VIII which would also be a possibility.

Maybe you can send me this coin too someday, since the ID would probably be possible with the coin itself or a plaster cast of it in hand!

[ecoli]

Sure, not a problem.  Mid jan time frame