The Dereham Hoard SEVERUS ALEXANDER AD222-235 Silver Denarius

The Dereham Hoard

SEVERUS ALEXANDER AD222-235 Silver Denarius

Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right/Jupiter standing left holding thunderbolt

Rome mint

18mm, 2.60g

This coin is from the Dereham hoard of some 1049 Roman silver coins found in 2004 by metal detectorists Pat & Sally Buckley. The hoard was buried in a greyware pot during or shortly after AD 240 during the reign of the Roman emperor Gordian III. Here it remained until disturbed by ploughing in the early 2000’s. To read more about this exciting find click here.

Severus Alexander was a cousin of Elagabalus being the son of Julia Mamaea, the younger daughter of Julia Maesa. Unlike his cousin Severus was quiet and retiring in nature. When Julia Maesa perceived the threat caused by the increasingly outrageous behaviour of Elagabalus she persuaded Elagabalus to adopt Alexander as his heir creating him Caesar. Almost immediately Elagabalus regretted his decision and tried to have Alexander killed. Elagabalus was however murdered first, along with his mother Julia Soaemias.
Elevated to Augustus, Alexander was popular at first however he failed to command sufficient authority and also showed no inclination to a military life. He was also dominated by his mother Julia Mamaea and his grandmother Julia Maesa. Increasing unrest on the German frontier and also in the east where the Parthian empire was being overthrown by the Sasanids, led to a number of inconclusive campaigns weakening his authority with the army. Meanwhile his brief marriage to Orbiana ended in tragedy as his mother Julia Mamaea reacted violently at what she perceived to a threat to her authority over her weak son.
Further unrest in Germany resulted in Alexander trying to buy off the barbarians. This was the final straw for the army which mutinied and murdered both Alexander and his mother. Alexander was the last of the Severan emperors.