Attractive and Rare Circus Scene
Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. AR Denarius (18.5mm, 3.90 g, 12h). Rome mint. Struck AD 202. SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right / LAETITIA above, TEMPORVM below, ship with mast and sail in center of circus; above, four quadrigae driven left; below, ostrich, lion, zebra, bear and stag right, bull butting left, bear right, head left. RIC 274; RSC 253; BMCRE 343-4. Toned, flan crack. Good VF. Attractive and rare circus scene.
Ex Gorny & Mosch 249 (11 October 2017), lot 761; Numismatica Ars Classica 84 (20 May 2015), lot 1066.
After the victory over the Parthians, seven-day games were held in the Circus Maximus. A ship was set up in the middle of the arena and a hundred exotic animals were released from its belly every day. The reverse picture shows different sections of the festivities. The chariot races can be seen in the upper area, the ship in the middle, and the wild animals below.
