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Author Topic: Alexander Severus denarius with legend error  (Read 343 times)

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Offline timka

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Alexander Severus denarius with legend error
« on: December 03, 2021, 08:07:17 am »
Hi,

I would like to share a denarius of Alexander Severus with a missing letter S on the reverse. The reverse reads SALV instead of SALVS. Engraver    seemed to ran out of space, as started with too bold letters!

This coin is featured in a new video about legend errors, along with other 4 coins, including one coin of Vespasian that David Atherton once posted here.

https://youtu.be/dm96zWjmkxI 

Antioch mint
Ob. IMP SEV ALEXAND AVG
Bust of Severus Alexander, laureate, draped, right
Rev. SALV PVBLICA (sic)
Salus, draped, seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand snake coiled round altar; in left field, star
RIC 298 var.
3,15 gr

Thank you for your time!

Z.

Offline Tibsi

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    • http://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=11846
Re: Alexander Severus denarius with legend error
« Reply #1 on: December 05, 2021, 01:05:58 pm »
Great shot!

Online Ron C2

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Re: Alexander Severus denarius with legend error
« Reply #2 on: December 05, 2021, 02:03:07 pm »
Errors like this are not uncommon on Severan era denarii, and later into the third century.  RIC published some known common errors, but the book came out in 1936 and has not been revised since then.  It doesn't list this error variant, but that also is not unusual.

It's likely most Roman plebs never read these inscriptions, assuming they were even literate, but the snake motif would immediately have been obvious to them, pointing to the depicted deity being Salus.

Nice coin.
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R. Cormier, Ottawa

Offline timka

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Re: Alexander Severus denarius with legend error
« Reply #3 on: December 05, 2021, 04:36:00 pm »
Tibsi, Ron, thank you for your posts!

Yes, I totally agree this coin is not something super rare, especially given the fact it is from Antioch known for awkward legends. But it is always nice nice to spot such coin with error. On its own, such a rarity exists in only one die.

 

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