Obverse: Laureate Bust of the Emperor Facing
Right
Reverse: Victory Advancing to the Left, Holding a
Wreath and a Palm Frond
Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus was born April
11, 145 A.D. in Leptis Magna, a Carthaginian city
located in North Africa. Severus came from a
distinguished local family; his cousins received
suffect consulships in Rome under Antoninus
Pius. Severus restored stability to the Roman
Empire after the tumultuous reign of the
emperor Commodus and the outbreaks of civil
war that erupted in the wake of Commodus'
murder. However, by giving greater pay and
benefits to soldiers and annexing the
troublesome lands of northern Mesopotamia into
the Roman empire, Septimius Severus brought
increasing financial and military burdens to
Rome's government. Although his prudent
administration allowed these burdens to be met
during his eighteen years on the throne, his
reign was not entirely sunny. Overall, his reign
marks a critical stage in the development of the
absolute despotism that characterized the later
Roman Empire.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. This ancient coin is a memorial
to the Emperor Septimius Severus, passed from
the hands of civilization to civilization, from
generation to generation that still appears as
vibrant today as the day it was struck.
- (C.5677)
|
