FORVM`s Classical Numismatics Discussion Board

Numismatic and History Discussion Forums => Roman Coins Discussion Forum => Topic started by: Din X on June 09, 2022, 05:59:47 am

Title: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: Din X on June 09, 2022, 05:59:47 am

Has anyone more information concerning this coin?
Any help is very much appreciated.
Imho it is authentic, to avoid misunderstandings, I collect authentic coins too and if I would doubt the authenticity of this coin I would not post it here in this section.

I collect a little bit the coinage of Severus Alexander and a haven´t seen any Severus Alexander coin with this legend before and the combination virtus and this legend is new for me, too.
The style is imho likely from easter mint Antioch.
Maybe die links exist to other Denarii from Antioch?


I only know a Denar of Severus Alexander with PONTIF MAX TR P II COS II P P  and Roma seated from Antioch (I have one of these, too).
But here we have Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP
And the Severus Alexander coins with virtus I am aware of have completely different legends, I have some Severus Alexander Denarii with virtus, too.

The coin  was in a lot and the auciton house did not find a RIC number for this coin " Virtus nach rechts schreitend (RIC ?, 2,82 g)"

https://www.biddr.com/auctions/ams/browse?a=2473&l=2745689

I am looking forward getting to know more information about this coin.

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: mix_val on June 09, 2022, 10:27:24 am

Unknown to me.   I could not find a die match in my collection but I did notice the same irregular obverse legend in a coin (see below).  Perhaps not a coincidence that my coin is also a pontif max type from an eastern mint.

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: curtislclay on June 09, 2022, 02:10:32 pm

Certainly an official Eastern denarius of Severus Alexander, I would say. The obverse is very similar, indeed almost a die match, to that of the coin Bob Crutchley posted.

Sometimes these Eastern denarii copied their reverse type from coins of earlier emperors. The model for the reverse of Din X's coin might have been a denarius type struck by Caracalla from 209 to 212 AD, with legend

PONTIF TR P XII-XIIII COS III or, after the death of Septimius in Feb. 2011,

P M TR P XIIII COS III P P. See illustration from Coin Archives below.

For Severus Alexander that reverse legend needed to be changed. Is the rev. legend on your coin

PONTIF [ TR P] - COS P P?

In that case PONTIF would appear to be a mistake for PONTIF MAX or P M. Alexander's earliest dated reverse legend at Rome, which was also copied by a fair number of his Eastern denarii, was

P M TR P COS P P.

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: Din X on June 09, 2022, 02:28:49 pm

Thank you both very much.

I can read PONTIF [ TR P] COS P P

The TRP is quessing from what is still visible from the letters.

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: maridvnvm on June 17, 2022, 06:22:08 am

Here is a similar obverse die.

(https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/albums/userpics/10618/RI%20077m%20img.jpg)

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: Din X on June 18, 2022, 12:22:28 pm

Thank you, I assume this virtus with very similar obverse die is from Antioch and rare because I could not find any virtus Denarii from Antioch.

Title: Re: Severus Alexander Denar Virtus + PONTIF TRP COSPP unpublished?
Post by: maridvnvm on June 20, 2022, 06:15:33 am

It is. Additionally it has the legend error - VIRVS instead of VIRTVS.