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A bronze coin of the emperor Septimius Severus from Nikopolis ad Istrum showing Cybele riding a lion Coin Type: Bronze AE29 of Septimius Severus, 193-211 CE
Mint and Date: Nikopolis ad Istrum in Lower Moesia.
Size and Weight: 28mm x 29mm, 11.52g
Obverse: (AVT Λ CEΠT) CEVHPOC Π
Laureate head right.
Reverse: (V ΦΛ OVΛΠIAN) NIKOΠOΛIT
Cybele holding sceptre in left hand and tympanum in right; riding sidesaddle facing, head right; on the back of a lion leaping right.
Exergue: ΠPOC IC
Ref: Varbanov I (English) 2811; AMNG I —; Hristova/Jekov (2011) 8.14.31.3 (same dies).
BW Ref: 080 053 146
Click on the picture for a larger scale view of the coin

Note: The rough surface of this coin means that the photo is very unkind to it. It is clearer in the hand, and looks like the same dies as illustrated in Varbanov I (English). Varbanov had a poor specimen to work from and got a lot of the legend wrong. I have taken the undecipherable parts of the legend from a clearer example from CNG, auction 68, lot 125. Thanks to John Wrenn, writing as "Petrus Elmsley" on the Forum Classical Numismatics Discussion Board, for the CNG reference. (Added later:) The Hristova/Jekov example is excellent.


The content of this page was last updated on 28 December 2011.