Severus II, as Caesar AD 305-306. Treveri
Follis Æ silvered

29 mm, 9,57 g

FL VAL SEVERVS NOB CAES, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / GENIO POPVLI ROMANI / S-F / PTR, Genius standing facing, head left, holding patera and cornucopia.

Extremely Fine

RIC 651.

Severus II, also known as Flavius Valerius Severus, was a Roman emperor who ruled briefly from 305 to 306 AD. He was part of the tetrarchic system established by Emperor Diocletian, where the Roman Empire was divided into four regions, each ruled by two co-emperors (Augusti) and two junior emperors (Caesars). Severus II served as a Caesar, holding the title of Caesar of the West, under the Augustus of the West, Constantius Chlorus. After the death of the Augustus of the East, Galerius, in 311 AD, Severus II proclaimed himself Augustus and became the senior ruler of the Western Roman Empire. His reign as Augustus was very brief, lasting only from the spring of 307 AD until the summer of the same year. The usurper Maxentius, the son of the former emperor Maximian, challenged Severus II's claim to the throne. Maxentius had the support of the Roman Senate and the Praetorian Guard, leading to a civil war between the two claimants. In the Battle of the Milvian Bridge near Rome, Severus II's forces were defeated by Maxentius. Severus II was captured and later executed, while Maxentius declared himself the sole ruler of the Western Roman Empire. Severus II's reign was short and overshadowed by the tumultuous political events of the time. His brief tenure as Augustus marked a turning point in the tetrarchic system and the rise of Maxentius as a prominent figure in Roman politics. After Maxentius' rule, the Western Roman Empire saw further shifts in power until the rise of Constantine the Great, who emerged victorious in the Battle of the Milvian Bridge against Maxentius in 312 AD and went on to become the sole ruler of the entire Roman Empire.