Septimius Severus, 193-211, Sestertius

Septimius Severus (AD 193–211), Sestertius, AE, Rome, AD 195; 27.71 g; 32 mm. Obv: L SEPT SEV PERT AVG IMP VII; laureate head right. Rev: DIVI M PII F P M TR P III COS II P P; large S C in field. Struck at Rome on a large module typical of early Severan bronze, with the full titulature displayed on the reverse encircling the S C. RIC IV Septimius Severus 701b.

Issued in AD 195 (TR P III), this sestertius advertises Severus’s political program of adoptive legitimacy by styling him “son of the deified Marcus Pius,” aligning his new dynasty with Marcus Aurelius and the Antonines. The large S C denotes senatorial authorization for the bronze denomination at the Rome mint. The IMP VII acclamation in the obverse legend situates the coin amid Severus’s early consolidation of power during the civil conflicts of the 190s.