Lot 2275
Pescennius Niger. Silver Denarius (3.6 g), AD 193-194. Antioch. IMP CAES C PE[S-CEN] NIGER IVS A, laureate head of Pescennius Niger right. Reverse: FORTVNA-E REDVCI, Fortuna standing facing, head left, holding rudder and cornucopiae. RIC -; BMC -; RSC -. Extremely Rare and unpublished in the standard references. Obverse exhibits some porosity behind the excellent portrait of Niger. Very Fine / Extremely Fine. Estimated Value $1,000 - UP
From the scarcity of it today it would seem that Pescennius Niger's coinage was originally very limited, but the output was actually monumental. No catalogue of his coinage is without numerous missing types and varieties, just as the example offered here is missing from the major catalogues. The mints involved were, of course, in the East: Niger's primary imperial mint was based at Antioch where he held court, and he had a subsidiary mint probably based at Caesarea in Cappadocia. After three successive defeats at the hands of his rival, Septimius Severus, Niger was finally captured and executed along with his entire family in AD 194. It appears that Severus then ordered the recall of Niger's coinage, an order which must have been meticulously followed.
Ex Tareq Hani Collection.
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| Realized $782 |
