Very Fine Roman Imperial Silver Denarius – Emperor Severus Alexander. III Century A.D.
Product Description
Very fine original Imperial Rome Denarius of Emperor Severus Alexander – Museum quality piece
Weight: 3.13 g, coined in Rome between 222-228 A.D.
Obverse: Portrait of the Emperor Laureate facing right.
Reverse: Mars standing left.
Classification: Very Fine (RIC 160c)
Official Name: Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus (known as ”Severus Alexander”) reigned 13 March 222 A.D. – 19 March 235 A.D. Born: 1 October 208 A.D. at Arca Caesarea, Phoenicia (modern Akkar, Lebanon) – Died: 19 March 235 A.D. (aged 26) at Moguntiacum, Germania Superior (Mainz, Germany). Last of the Severan dynasty. His weak rule collapsed in the civil strife that engulfed the empire for the next 50 years.
Provenance: Ex-Collection of the late Richard J. Plant (1928-2020). Doncaster, South Yorkshire, England. Thence by descent to his sons who sold this famous collection at public Auction in London, February 9/2021. One of the most prestigious and knowledgeable person in the world of Greek, Roman, and Islamic coins. He wrote many books and articles about coins. All his books are typically adorned by his own meticulous hand-drawn illustrations, aimed at making clear features difficult to discern on even the best photographs, brought coins to life. Either as a collector or as a writer, was Plant much interest in a coin’s monetary value. He focused instead of making connections to the history, myths, places, objects, and people on them. A keen student of Latin and greek, he built his collection up by identifying coins for dealers on the Portobello Road in London in exchange for coins. He added later to his career Hebrew, Semitic Language, and Arab. In 1973 he wrote ”Arabic coins and how to read them”. This book won him the Royal Numismatic Society’s Memorial Price in 1975, followed in 1979 by ”Greek, Semitic Asiatic Coins and how to read them.” (Reissued in 2013).
Some of the books wrote by him:
– Greek Coin Types and Their Identification by Richard Plant | 1 June 1979
– Roman Base Metal Coins – A Price Guide by Richard Plant | 7 November 2013
– Roman Silver Coins – A Price Guide by Richard Plant | 5 December 2013
– A Numismatic Journey Through the Bible by Richard J. Plant & Christopher Henry Perkins | 10 November 2007
– An Introduction to Arabic Coins and How to Read Them by Richard Plant | 22 June 2014