Denomination: AR Denarius
Date: 193-211 AD
Mount: Sterling Silver with 14K prongs
Weight: 3.95 gm
Grade: NGC - 6829688-008 Ch VF
Mint: Rome
Description: Septimius Severus, AR Denarius, Rome, 193-194 AD. Obverse: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP III, laureate head right. Reverse: VICT AVG TR P II COS II PP, Victory walking right, holding wreath and palm. History: Lucius Septimius Severus (AD 145–211) was born in what is now Libya and became Roman emperor in AD 193 after a ruthless campaign against his rivals. He rose from relative mediocrity to start a new dynasty and his tenure as emperor was characterized by battling usurpers and brutal military campaigns in Parthia and Britain. Although his campaigns to the north of Hadrian’s Wall were cut short by his death, their effects on the frontier are visible to this day.
The alliance with Albinus did not hold. In AD 195, Severus made his elder son, Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (known as Caracalla), ‘Caesar’, and therefore successor. Severus’ wife, Julia Domna, became mater castoreum or ‘mother of the camps’ in an apparent effort to give prominence to his family and establish a dynasty. This snub to Albinus precipitated a further civil war with his former ally, who proclaimed himself emperor. However, Severus comprehensively defeated Albinus’ legions at the battle of Lugdunum (now Lyon, France). To further secure his position, Severus executed 29 senators who had supported Albinus, before heading off to wage war on Parthia (which was centered largely in what are now Iran and Iraq).
This was the major campaign of his reign and resulted in the sacking of the capital of the Parthian Empire, Ctesiphon, and the creation of the new province of Mesopotamia.
