Severus Alexander. 222-235AD. Gold. AUREUS. 6.45g. Rome. Laureate bust of Severus Alexander right, slight drapery. Alexander, as Romulus, advancing right, holding spear and trophy over shoulder. 11th emission. RIC IV 103. FDC.

An absolutely incredible coin - superbly struck, magnificent radiating luste.

 Severus Alexander has certainly not gone down in the annals of history as the most popular, intriguing or well-known of the emperors of Rome, however the beauty of a coin such as this does much to explain something of the Roman Empire while he was Caesar.

The Wikipedia entry for him has the following to say:

"Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander (October 1, 208–March 18, 235 AD), commonly called Alexander Severus, was the last Roman emperor (11 March 222–235) of the Severan dynasty. Alexander Severus succeeded his cousin, Elagabalus upon the latter's assassination in 222 AD, and was ultimately assassinated himself. His death marked the epoch event for the Crisis of the Third Century - nearly fifty years of disorder, Roman civil wars, economic chaos, regional rebellions, and external threats that brought the Roman Empire to near-collapse."
Alexander's reign was marked by "troubles". There were several military conflicts between the Romans and the (rising) Sassanid Empire, and then between teh Romans and the Germanic tribes of Germania. It was during this campaign that Alexander Severus unintentionally alienated his legions by using diplomacy and bribery as a military tactic, and his soldiers assassinated him.

Severus Alexander came to the throne while still a boy of 18 years of age, and was by all accounts dominated by the influence of his influential and powerful grandmother, Julia Maesa, as well as his mother, Julia Mamaea. On the whole, however, the reign of Alexander was prosperous until the rise, in the east, of the Sassanids. The state of the coinage also referred to explicitly during any discussion of his legacy:

"Alexander was the last of the Syrian emperors. Under the influence of his mother, he did much to improve the morals and condition of the people. His advisers were men like the famous jurist Ulpian, the historian Cassius Dio and a select board of sixteen senators; a municipal council of fourteen assisted the urban praefect in administering the affairs of the fourteen districts of Rome. The luxury and extravagance that had formerly been so prevalent at the court were put down; the standard of the coinage was raised; taxes were lightened; literature, art and science were encouraged; the lot of the soldiers was improved; and, for the convenience of the people, loan offices were instituted for lending money at a moderate rate of interest.

In religious matters Alexander preserved an open mind. It is said that he was desirous of erecting a temple to the founder of Christianity, but was dissuaded by the pagan priests."

One only needs to look at the beauty and obvious purity of this coin to see that however nondescript the rest of his reign may have been Severus Alexander's reform of the coinage was in some ways at least a resounding success.