LYDIA. Saitta. Clodius Albinus, as Caesar, 193-195. Tetrassarion (Bronze, 29 mm, 16.48 g, 5 h), Androneikos, son of Iollas Kratistos Stephanophoros and first archon for the second time, late 193-195. KΛΩ•CЄΠ• - •ΑΛBЄINOC K-AICAP Bare head of Clodius Albinus to right. Rev. ЄΠI•ANΔPONЄIK-OY APX A CAITT/HN-ΩN Aphrodite, nude, standing front, head to left; to left, winged cupid standing right, presenting torch; to right, dolphin swimming downwards. GRPC Lydia 98 = NAC 80 (2014), 125 (same dies, but badly tooled). Imhoof-Blumer, Lydische Stadtmünzen, p. 129, 7. SNG München 440 (same dies). Extremely rare and very likely the finest known example. A beautiful coin with a spectacular portrait and a very interesting reverse. Very light porosity, otherwise, nearly extremely fine.

As governor of Britain, Albinus refrained from claiming the throne after the murder of Pertinax on 28 March 193. Instead, he allied himself with Septimius Severus, the legate of Pannonia, who invaded Italy and deposed Pertinax' successor, Didius Julianus, in June 193. Septimius appointed Albinus to the rank of Caesar, accepting him as his designated successor and granting him free rein to deal with Pescennius Niger, the governor of Syria, who had also made a bid for power. This was a wise move on Septimius' part, as it secured a strong ally in the West while he focused on his campaign in the East, where his generals defeated Niger in three battles in late 193 and 194. With control over Italy, the Balkans, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt, Albinus' value to the new emperor diminished, especially since Septimius had two sons and intended to establish his own imperial dynasty. While it is unclear who initiated hostilities, the two massive armies of the pretenders eventually clashed in the Battle of Lugdunum in February 196 (or 197), one of the largest battles in Roman history. After a fierce confrontation, Septimius prevailed, and Albinus was killed on the battlefield, marking the end of three years of civil war and reuniting the empire under a single banner. With the East firmly under Septimius Severus or Pescennius Niger's control, only a few provincial mints issued coins in the name of Severus' Caesar, Albinus. In the case of Saitta, this must have occurred only after Septimius' successes against Niger in late 193 and early 194, when Asia Minor fell to the victor. This may reflect the local authorities' desire to demonstrate loyalty to Septimius Severus and his co-emperor, Clodius Albinus, thereby avoiding punishment for their previous support of Niger. The superb craftsmanship displayed on this coin is typical of Saitta early in Septimius' reign, especially considering the turmoil of the years 193-195 and the rarity of Albinus' provincial coinage. The city must have taken great care in hiring a skilled artist for its Severan coinage, resulting in a spectacular portrait of Clodius Albinus that rivals the finest output of the imperial mint in Rome