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Author Topic: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander  (Read 908 times)

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Offline mix_val

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Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« on: January 23, 2021, 10:02:49 am »
My eastern mint coins are loaded and my album should be a good reference for the subject.  Hope you enjoy!
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=7449

These coins were only minted for two years (222 and 223 CE) and for the most part show a surprisingly large variety of Severus Alexander portraits (he was a boy of 13 when his reign began).    You would think that the coins of Severus Alexander as Caesar under the emperor Elagabalus were circulating in the Roman empire and could provide a ready portrait for engravers to copy but apparently the choice of portrait was left to the engravers’ imagination.    
Assigning denarii to the eastern mints is not too difficult but can be tricky.   Issue I is easily recognized by the obverse legend IMP SEV ALEXAND AVG and a portrait of Severus Alexander as a young boy.   The Rome mint only started minting coins with this obverse legend in 228 CE and the portrait is that of a young man.  Another give away is the presence of a star in the reverse.   This is a characteristic of an eastern mint.  Issue I, II and III usually have a reverse star but, as the Victoria coin illustrates (below), this is not always the case.  The Mars reverse coin is a typical Issue II denarius
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Offline mix_val

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #1 on: January 23, 2021, 10:10:32 am »
Issue IV coins are undated and have no reverse star but are recognized as eastern by their characteristic style and legends.  
The Eastern mints had poor quality control compared to those of Rome.   For the eastern mints, legend lettering was irregularly spaced and did not always follow an even line, legend errors are common, letter serifs are obvious, and the letter A is an inverted V.  Portraits of Severus Alexander could vary wildly with many showing a thin neck, thick lips and bulging eyes.  Shown below is a issue IV coin and a representative Rome denarius from my collection.  
If you need other examples of Rome mint products, I believe that aurei were minted exclusively at the Rome 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: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #2 on: January 23, 2021, 11:30:45 am »
I've been looking at your coins the last week or so as you have been adding them to your gallery.
You have some very nice coins here.
There are about 35 coins of Severus Alexander from Antioch in my gallery:
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/thumbnails.php?album=4550
Feel free to look at them to see if you can find any die matches.

Offline mix_val

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #3 on: January 24, 2021, 11:38:50 am »
Hello Callimachus

You have some nice specimens in your album.
It's clear that the earlier studies of Eastern denarii are incomplete and deserving of a comprehensive re-examination.  I thought that Curtis Clay was doing something on this but haven't heard anything recently.  I'd be tempted myself but it needs considerable knowledge of Eastern mint coinage to do a proper job.

Cheers

Bob
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Pawel C2

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2022, 12:44:31 am »
I suppose you have found it already, but for collectors of Severus Alexander denarii from the eastern mints there will be a chance to acquire some interesting pieces (including those types not recognized in RIC) on GNDM spring auction. There is ca. 12 denarii originating from Richard McAlee Collection (sold as a part of bigger collection by CNG in August 2020).

https://aukcje.gndm.pl/pl/auction/1399487/2340/Monety-antyczne-Cesarstwo-rzymskie-Aleksander-Sewer-222-235


Offline Timestheus

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2022, 04:43:46 am »
Pavel - ah now I understand your intention to refer to exactly this auction everywhere in current and older threads. You are the owner or an involved person.

I see such a surreptitious advertising with mixed feelings. I think a reputable auction house shouldn't need something like that. But that's my opinion. On the positive side, collectors will certainly be made aware of some specimens that they would otherwise have overlooked.

On the other hand, some collectors will curse now, because they thought they might be able to bid at a fair price if there weren't that many bidders. So if you advertise here vigorously - that's great for your auction - but less so for the collectors, as this can mean even higher prices.

My opinion.

Offline mix_val

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2022, 10:38:00 am »
I suppose you have found it already, but for collectors of Severus Alexander denarii from the eastern mints there will be a chance to acquire some interesting pieces (including those types not recognized in RIC) on GNDM spring auction. There is ca. 12 denarii originating from Richard McAlee Collection (sold as a part of bigger collection by CNG in August 2020).

Hello Pawel
Thanks for the link.  I always check ebay and sixbid for new specimens but didn't know about this auction.  Some very nice specimens here.

Bob
Bob Crutchley
My gallery of the coins of Severus Alexander and his family
https://www.forumancientcoins.com/gallery/index.php?cat=16147

Pawel C2

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Re: Album of the Eastern mint denarii of Severus Alexander
« Reply #7 on: May 29, 2022, 12:04:28 pm »
I suppose you have found it already, but for collectors of Severus Alexander denarii from the eastern mints there will be a chance to acquire some interesting pieces (including those types not recognized in RIC) on GNDM spring auction. There is ca. 12 denarii originating from Richard McAlee Collection (sold as a part of bigger collection by CNG in August 2020).

Hello Pawel
Thanks for the link.  I always check ebay and sixbid for new specimens but didn't know about this auction.  Some very nice specimens here.

Bob

Hello Bob,

It's nice to read that the link was helpful. This auction house does not specialise in the Roman coins so it was probable to ommit its current offer in this field.

BTW you have very impressing collection of Alexander denarii from the Eastern mints. However, for me the most interesting is Iulia Mamaea denarius with Pudicitia standing (Antioch Mint). I collect denarii of Iulia Mamaea but I have not seen this type yet. Some years ago as a beginning collector I acquired denarius of Iulia Mamaea with Pudicitia seating from a well-known auction house but now as more experienced collector I have more and more doubts about its originality.

Pawel

 

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