SEVERUS ALEXANDER
AD 222-235
Potin Tetradrachm. 13.07g, 23.9mm
MINTED: EGYPT, Alexandria, RY 4 (AD 224/225)
REF: RPC Online Temp #10269 (26 spec); Emmett 3095.4; Dattari (Savio) 4285
OBVERSE: Α ΚΑΙ ΜΑΡ ΑΥΡ СƐΥΗΡ ΑΛƐΞΑΝΔΡΟС, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right.
REVERSE: Athena Nikephorus seated left on throne, holding scepter; shield at side of throne; L Γ (date) to left.
 
Provenance:
Ex Hermanubis Collection
"The Hermanubis Collection was assembled with a focus on both quality and rarity. It is expected that this collection will help create a new generation of collectors for the specialized, but popular area of Alexandrian/Roman Egyptian coinage."
 
Grade/Notes:
Very Fine. Dark, black patina. Well-centered and struck.
 
Historical Notes:
Egypt supplied as much as half of Rome’s annual grain supply, and was as such a hugely important province. Its economic and cultural heart was Alexandria, the second largest city in the Empire with a population of more than half a million during the time of Augustus. The coins of Roman Egypt were heavily used in daily commerce, and most often found in extremely worn condition. They are nevertheless highly collectible and interesting, sometimes featuring unique Egyptian-themed reverses and deities.