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.

This ring is truly one of a kind. Struck by hand, every ancient coin, like a snowflake, has a slightly different shape and must be individually mounted. The natural hues of the silver and the gold complement each other. In this ring, the present and the past combine. To wear this ring is to reconnect with the past while simultaneously exhibiting style and elegance that is contemporary and yet timeless. Besides its style, this ring is a symbol of the prudent leadership, the wealth and power, and the enduring legacy of the Roman Empire.