I acquired this rarity last year, but only just recently took some time and snapped my own photos. This worn, tiny bronze is one of my top favorites in my collection because it is of one of the very difficult to obtain, extremely rare final handful of Western emperors that ruled what little remained of the Western Roman Empire in its last two decades in existence.
This particular coin is of Libius Severus (aka Severus III), an undistinguished senator who was appointed emperor in 461 AD by the powerful Western magister militum Flavius Ricimer, a barbarian by birth, who had come to dominate the Western Empire and was basically ruler except in name, and unable to take the throne himself due to his heritage. Ricimer was playing puppet master; putting Roman emperors on the throne to control them and advance his own policies, and give a sense that the Romans were still in charge of the weakening empire. Hardly anything is known from Severus's reign aside from a few acts and the events regarding the continual disintegration of the Western Empire. He was regarded as a usurper by the Eastern Roman emperor Leo. During Severus's rule or the interregnum afterwards, Ricimer even had his own monogram put on official imperial coins of Libius Severus, a distinction that would have been unthinkable for a barbarian in prior times.
Libius Severus died in 465 AD, probably from natural causes, though some have maintained that he was poisoned by Ricimer. He was succeeded in 467 AD by Anthemius.
Libius Severus, Western Roman emperor (reigned 461-465 AD)
AE nummus
Obv: DN LIBIVS SEVERVS PF AVG, pearl-diademed, draped bust right
Rev: Monogram of Ricimer within wreath
Rome mint, struck 461-467 AD
Ref: RIC X 2715
9 mm wide
Here's the old, seller's photo::
Also if you'd like, go ahead and post any monogram coins and/or other coins you may have from this particular era
Posted 03/13/2014 6:43 pm
