A Busy Severan Obverse Die

Amazing that you and Doug have found so many. Many of these I would like to have in my collection. Very nice.

I'll throw in three photos including a die dupe of the BONI EVENTVC so I have a chance to make a couple points. Martin knows all this; some of you may not. These are somewhat rare coins. The existing world supply of all the coins from this die probably could be held in one man's hands with maybe 10 of each reverse known. Lets guess that there are another hundred out there that we have not seen so there could be 200 total in all grades. The number of people who care are also very few (probably under the 10) but it just happens you know two of them. Some of the existing copies are just plain dogs. I hate it that one of mine has not a trace of the IICO legend showing but the die is identifiable by other features for example the P of SEP having a barb on the left upright that shows clearly on most of these coins as well as the usual spacings of letters used in die ID work. After a while collectors like Martin and I get to know dies by the look on Septimius' face just like he were in our circle of friends. That makes it a lot easier for us to spot other specimens when we get the chance.

For most of you it would be silly to consider buying one of these oddities rather than a nicer Septimius of a more common type. We might pay a little extra for these coins but not enough people care to start up much of a bidding war. High grade coins sell for a lot more than rare ones do unless the rare ones happen to be very high demand as well (I'm thinking here of the architectural reverses, Medusa head and dynastic multiple portraits). If you get interested in Septimius, such coins may become more interesting about the time you get 300 others to go with them. Don't ask where to get the book that will teach you all this. Someone has not written it yet. It would not sell well.