References

Finding the right references can make attribution and collecting ancient coins a much more enjoyable hobby. As many people say, "buy the book before you buy the coin". This is very good advice but how do you know what references are worth buying and you can afford?

The first place to look for a review of ancient coin references has to be the appropriately named Ancient Coin Reference Review by Dennis Kroh which can still be purchased from the author. While it is getting dated, it still offers a great amount of information for around $25. Dennis got the recommendation of many noted experts and compiled them into this review of the references which also breaks out into different areas including a section "The Severan Emperors of Rome".

My goal here is to review references as they directly relate to helping study the coinage of Severus Alexander. There are many great references that don't cover or only lightly cover Severus Alexander's coinage. I will not cover them here. If you know of another reference you'd recommend instead, please let me know. Prices notes here may be more or less than you can get them for. I am not selling any of the references!!

Imperial

Roman Silver Coins Volume III by Seaby / Sear (RSC)

My favorite of all my references for its layout and completeness. As the title indicates, this reference is only for silver coinage. If you want to attribute silver coinage, denarii for example, this is the reference to use. Its listing is probably the most complete and lists problems found in other references, ancient copies, and other notable information. The preface is extremely short and the pictures are small and limited. $25

Roman Imperial Coinage Volume IV by Mattingly and Sydenham (RIC)

Probably the best catalog of the Imperial Coinage of Severus Alexander. The listing of gold, silver, and bronze are very extensive with only more rare examples missing. Plates are also very good and cover many coins. The preface is good but not as extensive as BMC. RIC is also a necessity for attribution. $125

Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum Volume VI by R.A.G. Carson (BMC)

The catalog of coinage of Severus Alexander is not as extensive as RIC but would be a close runner up. The catalog includes gold, silver, and bronze coins from the mints of Rome and Antioch. The plates are quite good and many of the coins are pictured. What BMC lacks in a catalog of the coins it more than makes up in the preface on Severus Alexander. The coverage of Severus Alexander coinage including a discussion of the mints of Rome and Antioch, hoards, styles, titles, etc. is the best I have seen. BMC is an absolute necessity for anyone who wants to seriously collect Severus Alexander. Expensive and tough to find. $135 on Abebooks.com

Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, Volume III by Anne S. Robertson (Hunter)

This catalog of coinage of Severus Alexander is probably next to RIC and BMC for its coverage. It includes silver and bronze coins. The plates are extensive and very clear. Concordances to RIC, BMC, and Cohen. Expensive and tough to find. $230

Le Tresor Numismatique de Reka-Devnia by N. A. Mouchmov (Reka-Devnia)

This hoard report from 1934 in French is from the Marcianopolis (Bulgaria) and includes within it a listing of the types with legends and the frequencies of the coins within the hoard. The frequency is the key. It includes only silver coinage. Only ten coins are pictured. Concordance to Cohen. Very Expensive and near impossible to find as original. There are some copies available (Barry Murphy was selling copies).

Roman Coins and Their Values Millennium Edition Volume II by David Sear (S)

There are different versions of this reference readily available but I would recommend getting the Millennium Edition as it is much more complete and detailed. For the size and diversity of the material it covers, the book does an excellent job. This book covers not only the coins of the mints of Rome and Antioch but also Alexandria. Pictures have also been improved and are more frequent. The prices listed are a good base line to go off of. Highly recommend as an cheaper alternative to BMC and RIC but it is not as extensive as either. Good coverage of Severus Alexander. As of the writing, $95 from the author

The Handbook of Roman Imperial Coins by David Van Meter (VM)

This book comes in both hard cover and soft cover version. For the money, $35 on Ebay $28.95 on Amazon as the writing of this, is a great deal. The listing of coinage is very limited though and the preface is extremely limited. The prices are very much out of date. A great reference for a new collector trying to find out what is available to collect. Basic coverage of Severus Alexander.

The Coinage and History of the Roman Empire by David Vagi (VAGI)

This two volume set has one volume dedicated to the history and the other to the coinage. Both give a good basic overview and are very well written. There is also an excellent discussion of the tribute coinage of Emperor Trajan Decius who issued double denarii for Severus Alexander. $95 for 1999 version, $130 for revised 2000 version. Prices are very basic. A great introduction to the coinage for beginners or a general reference. Not a great reference for attribution of any Emperor.

Description Historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain by Henry Cohen (C)

While out of date and very lacking in pictures, this reference in French is considered the standard that many others came from. RSC's numbering is based upon Cohen. Cohen is available online at various sites. Good coverage of Severus Alexander but many mistakes.

Provincials

References for provincial coinage of Severus Alexander are as vast as the area they cover. References can be extensive collections of museums covering all regions or can be centralized to one or more specific areas. References that cover many areas can either very expensive or very limited in the amount of coinage they cover. Unless you have an unlimited budget, collecting references on Provincial Coinage should be done with an interest in mind. I would recommend in either deciding on a particular emperor or a region first and then try to attend the best references for that specialty. My specialty is of course Severus Alexander and within Provincials I concentrate on coins from Alexandria and Moesia. That doesn't mean that I won't collect outstanding examples from other areas. It just means that I try to stay within these areas and that my references may not adequately cover these areas. All references are in English unless otherwise noted.

Greek Imperial Coins and their Values by David Sear (SGIC)

This one volume reference is for its price probably the best place for new collector of Provincial Coinage to start. It is organized by Roman rulers and lists the coinage under their rule. Good coverage of Severus Alexander. For it's size and price, it has many pictures and a great preface. The appendix also has a handy list of reverse legends so you can attribute the coinage to an area. The maps appendix is also another great feature. If you are looking to attribute all your collection, this one volume cannot adequately cover the entire provincial area. For the price of $85 available from the author, it is a great deal.

Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: Asia Minor and the Levant by Dr. Henry Clay Lindgren (Lindgren I).

Ancient Greek Bronze Coins: European Mints by Dr. Henry Clay Lindgren (Lindgren II).

Ancient Greek Bronze Coins from the Lindgren Collection. by Dr. Henry Clay Lindgren (Lindgren III)

Moving from one volume to three volume coverage of the provincial area, here is the next set to purchase. Broken into separate areas in the first two volumes and then combined in the last, the collection of Dr. Lindgren is extensive. The organization by area, the extensive index, and pictures of all coins listed, make this a great reference. Fair coverage of Severus Alexander. Don't expect all your coins to be pictured but you will hopefully find a similar coin. Both the author and other dealers are selling it at a discount right now of around $45 or less per volume.

Die Antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands. by A. Forni (AMNG)

This 4 volumes in five parts reference is essential for the coinage of Moesia especially for Severus Alexander. The series also covers Macedonian, Thracian, Dacia, Paeonia and Mysia but are either very limited for Severus Alexander or contain no examples for him. The reference is in older style German and contains only example plates at the end. Difficult to find and expensive. $295.

Ancient Coins of the Balkan Peninsula by Nikola Moushmov (Moushmov)

This reference also covers Moesia, Thrace, Dacia, Macedonia, and other areas. The original text was in Bulgarian but has been translated to English and put on the web. The web site reference also has coin pictures added into it. It has some typos and can be slow to get to at times but you can't beat the free price and being electronic. Good coverage of Severus Alexander.

Greek Imperial Coins Volume I and II by Ivan Varbanov (Varbanov) in English

This reference covers Dacia and Moesia in Volume I and Thrace in Volume II. More updated than Moushmov and more pages than Bulgarian version. The original text was in Bulgarian but was translated to English in this version. Easy to follow and many coin examples pictured. Great coverage of Severus Alexander. Not cheap at $280 for the pair, but I still highly recommend them.

Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum Bulgaria by Dimitar Draganov (SNG Bulgaria)

Volume I Thrace & Moesia Inferior. Bobokov Bros. Collection. Great reference to the areas covered and extensive Severus Alexander coinage. Each coin is described and pictured. Many examples are in lower quality. Recommend. $155 isn't bad considering the size and the quality of the prints.

Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum . The Royal Danish National Museum, Copenhagen. (SNG COP)

Vol. I. Italy and Sicily. 92 pp., 60 pl.
Vol. II. Thrace and Macedonia. 68 pp., 60 pl.
Vol. III. Greece, Thessaly to Aegean Islands. 96 pp., 80 pl.
Vol. IV. Bosporus to Lesbos. 62 pp., 50 pl.
Vol. V. Ionia, Caria and Lydia. 93 pp., 83 pl.
Vol. VI. Phrygia to Cilicia. 73 pp., 63 pl.
Vol. VII. Cyprus to India. 81 pp., 67 pl.
Vol. VIII. Spain-Gaul, North Africa, Egypt-The Ptolemies. 131 pp., 115 pl.

Considered by many to be the best of the provincial references, it is also a great reference for Severus Alexander coinage. Eight volumes and pictures for each coin make this a great reference. Very good coverage of Severus Alexander. The price is definitely a major consideration. $795.

Sylloge Nummorum Graecorum Deutschland . Sammlung Von Aulock Collection of Greek Coin from Asia Minor (SNG von Aulock)

Vol. 1: Pontus, Paphlagonia, Bithynia, Mysia, Troas, Aeolis, Lesbos, Ionia
Vol. 2: Caria, Lydia, Phrygia, Lycia, Pamphylia
Vol. 3: Pisidia, Lycaonia, Cilicia, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cyprus, Imperial Cistophoris, Posthumous Lysimachus and Alexander tetradrachms
Vol. 4: Supplement

Considered by many to be the ultimate reference for coins of this area. Each coin is carefully described and pictured. Text in German but easy to follow. A good number of coins of Severus Alexander are covered. Not cheap at $500.

Alexandrian Coins by Keith Emmett (Emmett)

This reference is exclusively for Alexandrian coinage (Egypt) and contains an extensive cataloging system that allows for new coins, rarity, drawing of all coin obverses and reverses, maps and a concordance to other references. The best new reference on this Alexandrian coinage for Severus Alexander or any other emperor. A great deal at $49.95.

Catalog of Alexandrian Coins by J. G. Milne (Milne)

Another reference on just Alexandrian Coinage, this one has a good introduction and plate types. Most coins of Severus Alexander for Alexandria are listed. Definitely worth $55.

Tetradrachms of Roman Egypt by James W. Curtis (Curtis)

A catalogue of over 2000 coins, with introduction, rarity guides, index, and history. This new reprint incorporates an additional 1200 illustrations from the catalogues of several dealers. Additionally, there are two articles by Milne: "The Leaden Token-Coinage of Egypt Under the Romans" and "The Currency of Egypt in the Fifth Century." Good coverage of Severus Alexander. $55

Coins of Alexandria and the Nomes British Museum Catalogue by Poole (BMC)

A limited number of coins and plates are within this reference for Severus Alexander but still a useful reference. Not easy to find and expensive at around $100.

Katalog Alexanderinischer Kaisermunzen der Sammlung des Instits fur Altertumskunde der Universitat zu Koln (Koln) band 3 (Marc Aurel - Gallinesus) by Angelo Geissen

This reference is an excellent source for identification of Alexandrian Tets of Severus Alexander. Each coin is pictured with extensive references sited. This is the first reference I go to identify my Alexandrian Tets. It is extensive in the coins listed but is written in German and also expensive and not easy to find. Around $100 if you can find it.

Thrace etc. British Museum Catalogue by Poole (BMC)

This very limited reference covers Thrace, Moesia, and other areas. Not worth the $95 you can expect to pay for it.