Septimius Severus


'Emesa' Mint

This page is in process of constant revision. New material will be added as available.

Of the many subjects relating to this mint, the matter of the split consul dates is least well understood. Many examples show enough space that the separation of the second I was not required and other COSII coins show the numerals crowded together to avoid the split. If this split is a secret code of some sort, the meaning is not known. Links exist between split and normal dies making less likely the possibility of the split denoting a branch mint product. More study is needed.

"COSI-I Emesa Mint Denarii"
RIC374A
RSC141b 		IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS I - I

FELICITAS TEMPOR..		 Some obverse dies from 'Emesa' show the last letter 'I' placed beyond the point of the bust making it easy to confuse the 'COSI-I' reading with actual 'COSI' items. Whether this is simply failure to plan ahead or is some sort of 'secret mark' requires more study. These exist in a variety of styles and were probably not all produced together. This coin is made hard to read by double striking.
RIC377
RSC174a 		IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS I - I

FORTVN REDVC		 The round portrait style would place this coin in the later period but it is shown here to keep the split COSI-I coins together. The split legend coins include quite a variety of styles and reverses suggesting they were produced over a long period of time or at more than one place. One possibility is that these were the product of a mint traveling with the Emperor.

RIC427
C677 		IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS I - I

VICT AVG		 This Victory seated type shows an interesting obverse legend split placing the last I of COSI-I all the way over next to the I of IMP.
C749
RIC428		 IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS I - I

VICTOR SEVER AVG		 Previously thought to be a rare type, recent finds have provided VICTOR SEVER AVG coins in several different styles. This one shows the split numeral with the second stroke almost on the point of the bust.
IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II

IMP CAE L SEP SEV PERT AVG COS II
 More coins coming to this space

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Doug Smith