Unpublished Indian Septimius Severus

Sale: Triton XI, Lot: 952. Estimate $1000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 January 2008.  Sold For $1000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. AV Aureus (7.12 g, 12h). Indian imitation, probably Kushan period. T2VTAΔV[...] PИSVБVG (A inverted), laureate head right / TIVN-T[...] ITVTV, laureate figure standing left, holding bird(?) and scepter. Unpublished. VF, typical double piercing for threading and ornamental use.

The obverse clearly imitates Septimius’ late issues, with SEVERVS PIVS AVG legend. On the other hand, the reverse prototype is less certain, possibly a highly devolved version of Virtus from Septimius’ VIRTVS AVG issues.