Septimius Severus, denarius, silver, reign 193-211, minted 200-201

Septimius Severus, denarius, silver, reign 193-211, minted 200-201, 3.15 g, 19 mm. Obverse: laureate bust right; legend SEVERVS AVG PART MAX. Obverse design: RESTITVTOR VRBIS. Reverse: emperor standing left, sacrificing out of patera over tripod and holding spear. Reverse design: RESTITVTOR VRBIS. Strike: struck issue on a fairly round flan, die axis ≈ 6 h, moderate relief. Toning: light silver-grey with scattered darker highlights. References: RIC IV 167A; BMCRE p. 223 no. 511; Cohen 487. The denarius of Septimius Severus issued in 200-201 commemorates the emperor’s efforts to restore and embellish Rome after the civil wars of 193-197. The RESTITVTOR VRBIS legend, previously used by earlier rulers, underscored Severus’s self-portrayal as restorer of the capital’s public buildings and religious life. Struck at Rome, the type circulated widely throughout the empire, promoting the legitimacy of the Severan dynasty and reinforcing the stability achieved after Severus’s defeat of Pescennius Niger and Clodius Albinus.