Ancient Gold Coins - Roman

Lot 3465    SESSION 17 (9.30AM FRIDAY 24TH NOV)    Ancient Gold Coins - Roman

Estimate $12,000
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $11,000

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, (A.D. 193-211), gold aureus, Rome Mint, issued A.D. 195, (7.24 g), obv. laureate head of Septimius Severus to right, around L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP IIII, rev. around PART ARAB PART ADIAB, two captives seated back to back at the foot of trophy, (S.6215, RIC 55, C.364, Calico 2488). Good very fine/nearly extremely fine and extremely rare.

In AD 194, Septimius Severus defeated Pescennius Niger, his Syrian rival for the imperial purple. Not being a particularly forgiving sort, in the next year Severus followed up this victory with a punitive campaign against the local kings of Osrhoene and Adiabene who had either openly supported Niger or had taken advantage of the upheaval in Syria for their own benefit. The campaign was a resounding success. Osrhoene was conquered and much of the kingdom was converted into a Roman province although its former king, Abgar, was permitted to retain possession of Edessa and its surrounding territory. Adiabene was also conquered, but seems to have been left largely in the hands of its king who is possibly to be identified with the Narseh mentioned in the Chronicle of Arbela. These victories prompted Severus to assume the honorific titles of Parthicus Arabicus and Parthicus Adiabenicus. While Parthicus Adiabenicus obviously refers to the conquest of the Parthian vassal kingdom of Adiabene, Parthicus Arabicus refers to the annexation of Osrhoene. The latter had a largely Aramean population that was ruled by the Arab Abgarid dynasty, hence the use of Arabicus. Severus' titles appear not only on the coinage struck in the aftermath of this early eastern campaign, but also on the Arch of Septimius Severus in Rome which was completed in 203. The present aureus celebrates Severus' campaigns against Osrhoene and Adiabene through its trophy type and explanatory reverse legend. It is unclear whether it might have been struck from plunder carried back to Rome by the victorious Roman army. (courtesy of Numismatica Ars Classica).