Septimius Severus Denarius Ancient Roman Empire Silver Coin 210AD Jupiter RIC 240

Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG BRIT, Head of Septimius Severus, laureate, right
Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS III P P, Jupiter, naked except for cloak over left shoulder, standing left, holding thunderbolt in right hand and sceptre in left hand; at feet, two children standing, one right and one left
Date: 210 A.D. RIC IV Septimius Severus 240
Size: 19mm diameter, 3.19g weight
Composition: Silver

Septimius Severus troops' proclaimed him emperor in 193 AD following the assassination of Emperor Pertinax (his political ally) by the Praetorian Guard. He immediately marched on Rome, defeated his rivals, exiled the Praetorians, and ended a brief period of civil war known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Severus was an effective ruler and military leader, leading campaigns against the Parthian Empire in the east and kingdoms in North Africa, expanding the Empire to its peak territorial size. But these military campaigns, along with his expansion of the bureaucracy and his intentional debasement of the Roman currency in order to pay the now massive military, weakened the Empire and arguably contributed to the Crisis of the 3rd Century (50 years of nearly continuous civil war). He died of illness while leading an invasion of Britain and was succeeded to the throne by his two sons, Caracalla and Geta.