SEVERUS ALEXANDER SIDON c221AD AE20 12.94gm 9mm thick ATHENA NIKE REV BABELON

Description

SEVERUS ALEXANDER c221AD SIDON AE20 12.94gm 9mm SUPER THICK   ATHENA w SHIELD HOLDS NIKE ON REV
SIMILAR TO BABELON CATALOG LISTING OF SIDON BUT PICTURE IS BLURRY,
LOOKS LIKE A MUREX SHELL ON HIS COIN IS WHERE MY GAMMA PI IS TO RIGHT OF SHIELD (Pi seems to be struck over Gamma on this)
sharp strike but reverse inscriptions are off the flan so exact identification is impossible
Originally sold as Raphia SNG1062 Hendin 902, but that has been ruled out
Dane at Wildwinds said definitely Middle Eastern Provincial
similar to Caesarea Martima Kadman 91
I WILL SHIP OVERSEAS ONLY THROUGH THE GLOBAL SHIPPING PROGRAM OR OTHER US BASED SHIPPING PROGRAMS
Severus Alexander was born in 208 to Marcus Marcianus and Julia Mamaea and succeeded his cousin Elagabalus at age 13 after his cousin was assassinated, and was the last of the Severan rulers.  After becoming emperor he dropped the purity of the denarius but in 229 he revalued and raised it, dropped taxes and lent money at moderate rates which made him quite popular with the people.  He had an open mind and actually wanted to erect a temple to Jesus, but was talked out of it by the pagan priests.  He and his mother met with Origen, a well known father of the church.  He wasn’t as popular with the military and was overthrown and murdered by his own men.  He was the 1
st
of many Roman Emperors to be overthrown by military discontent.