Watch List notes:

Septimius Severus. A.D. 193-211. AR denarius (18 mm, 3.68 g, 12 h). Emesa, A.D. 194. IMP CAE L SEP PERT AVG COS II, laureate head of Septimius Severus right / BONI EV-ENT, Bonus Eventus standing facing, head left, holding plate of fruits and grain ears. RIC 368; BMC 343, note; RSC 65a. An extremely rare variant for Emesa, only one specimen noted in both RIC and Reka-Devnia, and missing entirely from the B. P. Murphy Collection. The obverse is particularly well-centered with a fine portrait of the emperor highlighting his distinctive ethnic features. Lightly toned with some iridescence. Nice very fine.

From the Maple Leaf Collection.

During the first half of his reign, Septimius Severus operated three imperial mints in the East, at Emesa and Laodicea ad Mare in Syria, and at Alexandria in Egypt. Minting at first was limited to Emesa and Alexandria during the years 194 and 195, but in 195 moved to Laodicea where it continued until 202. The style of engraving from each mint is uniquely distinctive, with that from Emesa sometimes (as here) depicting the emperor sporting tight, almost kinky, curled hair and beard, features perhaps exaggerated in order to point out the emperor's paternal Punic (and possibly Berber) heritage.

While there are variations of the legends noted for this type, there was only one specimen of this precise variety having the abbreviated reverse legend with EVENT as opposed to EVENTVS cited in the great Reka-Devnia hoard, published by N. A. Moushmov in 1934.

Anyone interested in the eastern issues of Septimius Severus and his family should visit the website of Barry P. Murphy on Ancients.info, http://bpmurphy.ancients.info/severan/severanhome.htm.

Estimate: $100