IONIA, Smyrna. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ (34mm, 20.45 g, 12h). Claudius Rufinus, the Sophist, strategos. Struck AD 198-202. Near VF.

Electronic Auction 550
Lot: 357. Estimated: $ 500

Roman Provincial, Bronze

Sold For $ 450. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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IONIA, Smyrna. Septimius Severus. AD 193-211. Æ (34mm, 20.45 g, 12h). Claudius Rufinus, the Sophist, strategos. Struck AD 198-202. Septimius, laureate and togate, holding globe at center; to left, Geta, bareheaded and togate; to right, Caracalla, laureate and togate, holding scroll; all seated left on curule chairs / ΠPΩ/TA KION/A ACIAC/CMYPN/IAΩN in five lines within laurel wreath. Klose LVI, Serie A, 2 (V1/R2); BMC 368; SNG Hunterian 1566. Red-brown surfaces, minor porosity, a few red deposits, small flan voids on reverse. Near VF. Very rare, only three in CoinArchives. The finest hammered for 15,000 CHF and this is nearly as nice.

Sophists were formal teachers who specialized in certain subjects, typically philosophy and rhetoric; mathematics, music, and athletics were other subjects often taught as well. Plato and Socrates were two of the more famous Sophists. Claudius Rufinus’ reign as Strategos began under Septimius Severus and continued to Gordian III. All Sophists’ coinage recorded in RPC was minted in Smyrna.

Closing Date and Time: 15 November 2023 at 11:58:40 ET.

All winning bids are subject to a 20% buyer’s fee.