Severus II

Coinage as Caesar
Coinage as Augustus
Biography...

204-024

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Severus II

Rome, 305

obv.- SEVERVS NOB CAES; laureate bust right

rev.- SAC MON VRB AVGG ET CAESS NN; Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia; RT in ex

RIC VI Rom 123a

28mm; 9.7g; nummus

Listed as S in RIC

104-476

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Severus II

Carthage, 305-306

obv.- FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAES;

rev.- SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART; mint mark Γ in ex; really faint H in left field

RIC VI Car 40a; Fail 54

29mm; 9.4g; nummus

104-645

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Galerius

Heraclea, 305-306

obv.- FL VAL SEVERVS NOBIL CAES; Laureate head right, divergent laurel ties

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left with patera & cornucopia; ANT: in ex; epsilon in field

RIC VI Her 25; Fail 46a

29mm; 12.1g; nummus

From the Father Wilbur B. Dexter Collection.

104-767

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Constantius I

Lugdunum, 305-306

obv.- FL VAL SEVERVS NOB C; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, right holding patera (from which liquor flows) above altar, left cornucopiae. * in field, PLC in ex

RIC VI Lug 193; Fail 046a

28mm; 12.75g; nummus

Rated S in RIC

104-889

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Constantius I

Treveri, 305-306

obv.- FL VAL SEVERVS NOBIL C; laur cuir bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left holding a patera and cornucopiae. PTR in ex; S|F in field

RIC VI Tr 650a

28mm; 8.7g; nummus

listed as R in RIC

104-935

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Severus II as caesar

Aquileia, 305-306

obv.- SEVERVS NOB CAES; laur bust r

rev.- VIRTVS AVGG ET CAES NN; Mars advancing right in military dress, holding spear right and trophy over shoulder; in ex, AQΓ

RIC VI Aq 70a; Fail 055

28mm; 10.5g; nummus

Rated S in RIC, R in Failmezgar.

204-005

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Severus II

Aquileia, 305-306

obv.- SEVERVS NOB CAES; laur bust r

rev.- VIRTVS AVGG ET CAES NN; Mars advancing right in military dress, holding spear right and trophy over shoulder; in ex, AQG

RIC VI Aq 70a; Fail 055

28mm; 8.8g; nummus

rated S in RIC, R in Fail

204-043

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Constantius I

London, 305-306

obv.- SEVERVS NOBILISSIMVS CAES; laureate draped cuirassed bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, holding patera and cornucopia

RIC VI Lon 59a

30mm; 9.8g; nummus

Rated S in RIC. Ex. Dr. J. S. Vogelaar Collection

204-091

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Severus II

Siscia, 305-307

obv.- FL VAL SEVERVS NOB C;

rev.- CONCORDIA IMPERI; Concord stg. l., holding spear and cornucopiae; VI in field; SISA in ex

RIC VI Sis 173b; Fail 42

26mm; 11.4g; nummus

RIC rated S; Fail rated R.

204-208

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Severus II caesar

—struck by Galerius

Siscia, 305-307

obv.- FLA VAL SEVERVS NOB C; laureate bust right

rev.- PERPETVITAS AVGG; Roma, helmeted, seated left on shield; right hand holding Victory on globe; left hand leaning on spear; SISA in ex

RIC VI Sis 182a

27mm; 9.3g; nummus

Rated R in RIC

204-277

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Maximinus II

Antioch, 305-306

obv.- IMP C FL VAL SEVERVS PF AVG; laureate bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, liquors flowing from patera in right hand, cornucopiae in left; HT-[gamma] in ex

RIC VI Ant 75 var

26mm; 10.3g; nummus

Unlisted in RIC. See King and Spear, "A Hoard of Folles from Northern Sinai," in NumChron 1977, 3981-3999. Group II in RIC lists this type for Severus as Caesar; Group III does not include "POPVLI ROMANI" at all for any, only CAESARIS and IMPERATORIS varieties. This issue should fall before RIC 81 in Group III.

Despite being technically uncatalogued in standard references, it is rather well-documented by Jan de Veen on this page (with both of my specimens referenced).

Ex John A. Seeger Collection

104-646

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Maximinus II

Antioch, 305-306

obv.- IMP C FL VAL SEVERVS PF AVG; laureate bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, liquors flowing from patera in right hand, cornucopiae in left; epsilon in field, ANT in ex

RIC VI Ant 75 [var]; Fail 46a

27mm; 9.8g; nummus

This is another example of coin 204-277 above. See coins 204-031 and 204-032 for more unlisted coins from this group, struck for Constantine as caesar.

104-495

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Galerius

Heraclea, 306-307

obv.- IMP C FLA VAL SEVERVS PF AVG;

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, holding cornucopiae and pouring libation from patera; HTB in ex

RIC VI Her 30; Fail 46

27mm; 8.1g; nummus

RIC rated S

104-874

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Severus II

Ticinum, 306-307

obv.- IMP C SEVERVS PF AVG; laur bust right

rev.- VIRTVS AVGG ET CAES NN; Severus on horseback, galloping right with armor and shield, spearing kneeling foes under his horse; TT in ex

RIC VI Tic 81; Fail 056

27mm; 8.4g; nummus

204-025

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Severus II

Rome, 306

obv.- IMP C SEVERVS PF AVG; laureate bust right

rev.- SAC MON VRB AVGG ET CAESS NN; Moneta standing left, holding scales and cornucopia; R-wreath-S in ex

RIC VI Rom 158b

28mm; 9.7g; nummus

Listed as S in RIC. The "Moneta" types were struck much later at Rome than at the other mints. Not only is it the only mint to strike these coins for Severus II, but this coin is struck for him during the short time that he reigned as Augustus. The other mints nominally under his control had long since shifted to a variety of military reverse types, reflecting the impending conflicts with Maxentius and Constantine, so the continuance of this early, politically unremarkable type from the first Tetrarchy suggests that perhaps he was not exerting very active control over the Rome mint, even before Maxentius overtly revolted.

104-743

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Maximinus II

Cyzicus, 307

obv.- IMP C FL VAL SEVERVS PF AVG; Laureate bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius of the Roman people standing left, holding patera and cornucopia; * in field, KB in ex

RIC VI Cyz 27b; Fail 46a

27.4mm; 9.9g; nummus

204-295

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Severus II augustus

—struck by Galerius

Nicomedia, 306-307

obv.- IMP GAL VAL SEVERVS PF AVG; laureate bust right

rev.- GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over shouder, right hand holding patera from which liquor flows, left holding cornucopia; SMNA in ex

RIC VI Nic 48 [var]

28mm; 8.8g; nummus

No coins for Severus II with this mintmark are catalogued, either as caesar or as augustus. In fact, RIC does not list any bronze coins from Severus at all.

This issue is dated in RIC as summer 307, but since Severus was already deposed by then (most likely in April), the date in RIC is probably wrong and it was struck 306-early 307. The RIC footnote for the issue notes, "So far lacking issues for Severus, and thus probaby falling after the spring of 307" but this coin disproves that argument. If it was catalogued, it would be RIC 48b. From the collection of Lawrence Feinberg.

[biography goes here...]

Illyrian of undistinguished birth. Owed his rise in politics to friendship with Galerius; was some sort of military commander, but apparently not an especially noteworthy or high-ranking one.

July 306 is elevated to Augustus when Constantius dies and Constantine takes power in Britain and Gaul as fait accompli. Maxentius revolts three months later in Rome. Constantine and Maxentius form alliance, recognizing each other as Augustus in March 307, so all of a sudden Severus is in a bad postion, squeezed between them in northern Italy.

Following the events in March 307, Severus launches invasion of Rome from his base in Mediolanum, fails. Maxentius is supported by his father, Maximianus, who had been the commander of Severus' troops for many years, and many of the troops defect to Maximian. Retires to Ravenna and surrenders to Maximian on promise to spare his life, but Maxentius executes him anyway, at Tres Tabernae on the Via Appia.

Severus II (Flavius Valerius Severus)

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