Salus sestertius of Severus Alexander

[mix_val]

Here's an early coin from Severus Alexander's reign that I rescued from Ebay.  It needed a little cleaning and unfortunately had some deep scratches but it's still a reasonable specimen, very nice in hand.  I was surprised to note that my collection of sestertii does not possess BMC 83, the same reverse as this one except with SALVS PUBLICA legend.  It's listed in RIC as common but I've never seen one except in BMC


Obverse: IMPCAESMAVRSEVALEXANDER(AVG)  [IMP CAES M AVR SEV ALEXANDER AVG]
Bust laureate right, draped and cuirassed, front view
Reverse: (P)MTRPCOS(P)P  SC in exergue
Salus draped seated left on throne, feeding from patera in right hand, snake coinling up from altar, resting left arm , elbow bent, on side of throne
BMC 39, RIC 393
Weight, 22.092g; die axis, 12h.

[curtislclay]

Yours is from the same dies as BM 39, pl. 1, and a little better preserved too, confirming the rarity of the type. BM 83 that you mention, pl. 3, with the same type but descriptive legend, is also from the same obverse die.

You are aware that all bronzes of Alexander in 222 are rare? That's why they come up relatively infrequently, and new specimens often share dies with those previously known.

Apparently the reduced volume of bronze production introduced by Septimius and Caracalla and continued by Macrinus and Elagabalus also lasted until the end of Alexander's first year. It was only with the new bronze types of his TR P II that a higher level of production was resumed.

[mix_val]

You are aware that all bronzes of Alexander in 222 are rare?

Yes indeed.  But I was not aware that the scarcity extended back to the reign of Septimius.  Thanks for the info.

Bob