Severus II Ancient Roman Bronze Follis — Tetrarchic Emperor (AD 306–307) — NGC Certified

Name: Severus II Ancient Roman Bronze Follis — Tetrarchic Emperor (AD 306–307) — NGC Certified
Brand: Kinzer Coins
Price: 105.0 USD
Availability: InStock

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Severus II AE Follis — The Emperor the Tetrarchy Chose but Could Not Save

Own a Rare Bronze from the Emperor the Tetrarchy Chose — Who Was Dead Within a Year

A real AE follis (nummus) of Severus II—the western Augustus appointed under Diocletian's Tetrarchic succession plan, whose reign unraveled almost immediately as Constantine and Maxentius challenged the new order. Betrayed by his own troops, captured, and executed in AD 307, his brief reign marked the beginning of the Tetrarchy's collapse. NGC certified.

✓ NGC Certified
✓ Guaranteed Authentic
✓ 30-Day Returns

📷 Coin shown is a representative example. You will receive one authentic NGC-certified AE follis of Severus II. Each coin is unique and will vary in strike, centering, patina, preservation, and overall appearance.

⚔️ Issued during the brief reign of the western Augustus appointed by Galerius to preserve Diocletian's carefully designed system of succession—only to lose everything through betrayal and civil war

🏛 Reverse features GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Victory, Hercules, or other Tetrarchic themes celebrating the unity and stability the empire desperately sought to preserve

🤲 Struck during AD 306–307—relatively scarce bronze coinage from one of the shortest reigns of the Tetrarchic era

Own This Piece of History

Why This Coin Matters

When Diocletian voluntarily abdicated in AD 305, he believed he had solved Rome's greatest political problem.

The Tetrarchy established a carefully ordered system of succession. Senior emperors would retire peacefully, their Caesars would become Augusti, and new Caesars would be appointed without civil war. For a brief moment, the plan appeared to work.

Then everything fell apart.

After the death of Constantius I Chlorus at York in AD 306, his soldiers ignored the succession plan and proclaimed his son Constantine emperor. Soon afterward, Maxentius, son of the retired emperor Maximian, seized power in Rome and openly challenged the Tetrarchy.

As the legitimate western Augustus, Severus II was ordered by Galerius to suppress the rebellion.

His campaign collapsed almost immediately.

Many of Severus's soldiers had once served under the retired emperor Maximian. When Maximian returned from retirement to support his son, large portions of Severus's army deserted without fighting, choosing loyalty to their former commander over loyalty to the Tetrarchic system.

Forced to retreat, Severus took refuge in the heavily fortified city of Ravenna. There he surrendered after receiving promises of safe treatment.

Those promises were broken.

He was taken prisoner and later executed in AD 307, probably by order of Maxentius. His reign as western Augustus had lasted barely a year.

Because his rule was so brief, Severus II's coinage is considerably scarcer than that of most Roman emperors. Each surviving bronze represents a short-lived attempt to preserve Diocletian's political system before civil war reshaped the Roman world once again.

Perfect For

Collectors of the Tetrarchy and Constantinian era
History lovers fascinated by Rome's succession crises
Collectors of short-reign Roman emperors
Students of the collapse of the Tetrarchy
Anyone seeking a scarce artifact from one of Rome's most dramatic political failures

What You'll Receive

One authentic AE follis (nummus) of Severus II
Denomination: AE Nummus / Follis (large post-reform Tetrarchic bronze)
NGC certified for authenticity and preservation
Struck AD 306–307
Presented in an NGC holder
Representative example of the type (each coin is unique)

Continue the Story

Severus II's brief reign marked the beginning of the end for Diocletian's grand experiment in shared imperial rule. Within a few years, Constantine would emerge victorious from the civil wars that followed, ending the Tetrarchy and establishing a new imperial dynasty that transformed the Roman world.

Explore our other Roman, Byzantine, Biblical, Greek, medieval, and world coin collections to continue your journey through the rulers, battles, and turning points that shaped civilization.