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Denarius - Severus Alexander VIRTVS AVG Barbarous imitation
| Issuer | Uncertain barbarous city |
|---|---|
| Year | 222-235 |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
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| Obverse description | Laureate and draped bust of Severus Alexander facing right, rendered in a crudely executed barbarous style with simplified facial features and schematic drapery folds at the shoulder. The effigy occupies the centre of the flan, with the portrait showing the characteristic youthful appearance associated with this emperor. The surrounding Latin legend runs clockwise around the periphery, partially blundered or degenerate in the manner typical of unofficial imitative coinage. The flan is irregular in outline, with slightly uneven edges consistent with barbarous hammered production. The overall die work displays a competent but provincial imitation of the official Roman prototype. |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG (Translation: Imperator (emperor) Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus) |
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| Additional information |
Barbarous imitations of Severus Alexander denarii circulated widely across the northwestern frontier provinces, where official silver coinage was chronically undersupplied and local communities struck their own substitutes in base metal to fill the gap. The VIRTVS AVG type was among the most frequently copied — its reverse apparently familiar enough to lend the imitation a degree of credibility in small transactions.
The bronze fabric immediately disqualified these pieces from official Roman supply channels, yet they persisted in circulation regardless.