Septimius Severus Sestertius “fidei Leg” — Certificate Of Authenticity

A bronze sestertius of Septimius Severus, struck at Rome in AD 193, an emblematic issue from the very first months of the reign, because it stages—with almost programmatic directness—the Fides of the legions, under the reverse legend FIDEI LEG TR P COS / S-C, and can be linked, by typological concordance, to the references RIC 651 / BMC 469 / Cohen 147, which describe precisely the same association of titulature, type, and layout.

Careful observation under ×10 magnification and raking light: direct examination reveals a large bronze on a naturally irregular flan, whose deep brown patina, nuanced by lighter highlights on the high points, enhances an energetic, solidly modeled laureate portrait (laurel wreath, tight hair, short dense beard, articulation of neck and bust), while the reverse, though more softened by circulation, retains the structuring markers of the type—S and C clearly placed in the field, the presence of Fides standing, and a typological reading consistent with the standard description “Fides holding a Victoriola and a standard (vexillum).”

Authority / period: Septimius Severus (AD 193–211), Rome issue dated 193 for this specific “loyalty of the legions” type.

Denomination / metal: Sestertius, bronze (Æ), with S-C on the reverse in accordance with senatorial practice for large imperial bronzes.

Weight / diameter: 31 mm; 21.95 g (specimen data), fully consistent with the sestertius category for this date and type.

Obverse (legend / type): IMP CAES L SEPT SEV PERT AVG, laureate head of Septimius Severus right, portrait in a style typical of the early reign.

Reverse (legend / type): FIDEI LEG TR P COS / S-C, Fides standing, holding a Victory (victoriola) and a standard (vexillum), layout and iconography consistent with published notices.

References: RIC 651; BMC 469; Cohen 147.

The year 193, the so-called “Year of the Five Emperors,” forced Septimius Severus into accelerated legitimation in which the army played a decisive role, and this is precisely what the monetary appeal to Fides Legionum crystallizes: coinage turns the expected loyalty of the troops into a public image, while also inscribing the emperor within institutional continuity through titulature and through the large senatorial bronze, a privileged medium of diffusion at the heart of the Urbs.

For a Severan cabinet, this sestertius brings together highly sought qualities: a large module with ample material presence, a portrait of immediate identification, and a reverse with a direct political message—the loyalty of the legions—whose force lies in the simplicity of its iconography (Fides, victoriola, standard) and its historical density; for this reason, the type is frequently presented as uncommon in catalogues and collection databases, with some market actors even classifying it as “rare” in their internal systems.

The provenance is European, from an established numismatic dealer, and the acquisition was made through a specialized international transaction within a recognized numismatic network, validated according to the highest standards of the art and heritage market; the attribution rests on a controllable concordance of legends, iconography, and the references RIC 651 / BMC 469 / Cohen 147, which describe exactly the same “FIDEI LEG … / S-C” combination with Fides holding victoriola and standard.

Each specimen is examined, described, and accompanied by a certificate of authenticity in accordance with the standards of the art and heritage market, so that the buyer has at their disposal a clear, traceable documentary framework aligned with professional practice.