Severus Alexander, denarius, silver, reign 222-235, minted 222-228

Severus Alexander, denarius, silver, reign 222-235, minted 222-228, weight 3.02 g, diameter 19 mm. Obverse: laureate, draped bust right; legend IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG. Reverse: Annona standing left, holding corn-ears in right hand and cornucopia in left; modius at feet; legend ANNONA AVG. Strike: well-centered, complete legends, dies in normal axial alignment. Toning: light grey with darker peripheral highlights. References: RIC IV 133; BMCRE V 570; RSC 18. Severus Alexander’s silver denarii continued the monetary system inherited from his Severan predecessors, preserving a silver content that would decline sharply after his death. The Annona type underscored the emperor’s responsibility for the grain supply that sustained Rome’s population, reflecting state control over shipments from Africa and Egypt and the distribution of the annona to citizens. Issued at the Rome mint early in the reign, the coins circulated widely among the legions and the urban populace, serving both as payment and as a propagandistic reminder of imperial stewardship over essential resources during a period of mounting military pressure on the northern and eastern frontiers.