These genuine Ancient Roman silver coins have been set in a stunning modern 18 karat gold necklace.

Emperor Lucius Septimius Severus was born April 11, 145 A.D. in Leptis Magna, a Carthaginian city located in North Africa. Severus came from a distinguished local family; his cousins received suffect consulships in Rome under Antoninus Pius. Severus restored stability to the Roman Empire after the tumultuous reign of the emperor Commodus and the outbreaks of civil war that erupted in the wake of Commodus' murder. However, by giving greater pay and benefits to soldiers and annexing the troublesome lands of northern Mesopotamia into the Roman Empire, Septimius Severus brought increasing financial and military burdens to Rome's government. Although his prudent administration allowed these burdens to be met during his eighteen years on the throne, his reign was not entirely sunny. Overall, his reign marks a critical stage in the development of the absolute despotism that characterized the later Roman Empire.