Aurelian Antoninianus, RIC V Aurelian 142

Monetary Context

When Aurelian assumed the purple in AD 270, the Roman monetary system was near total collapse following decades of runaway inflation, internal civil conflicts, and external frontier invasions. The antoninianus, originally introduced by Caracalla in AD 215 as a tariffed double denarius of good silver, had undergone catastrophic debasement through the reigns of Gallienus and Claudius II Gothicus. By the beginning of Aurelian's reign, the coin contained barely two to three percent silver, functioning in practice as a silver-washed bronze token currency. The issue classified as RIC V Aurelian 142 belongs to the transitional period of Aurelian's reign before his wide-ranging currency reform of AD 274, which introduced the stabilized aurelianianus marked with the XXI value guarantee. As such, these antoniniani reflect an empire-wide struggle to maintain military payrolls and sustain confidence in base-metal silver coinages while drawing upon traditional religious and civic imagery to reaffirm imperial authority.

Production and Mints

RIC V Aurelian 142 was produced exclusively at the Mediolanum mint, located in modern Milan, which served as a crucial military headquarters and logistical hub for Roman operations in northern Italy and the Danubian frontiers. Mediolanum operated multiple officinae, or operational workshop subdivisions, to handle the vast throughput demanded by ongoing imperial campaigns. Production involved cast flans of billon, a low-grade alloy consisting of copper with trace quantities of silver, which were subsequently treated through surface-enrichment pickling baths to give freshly minted specimens the bright, silvery appearance of genuine bullion. Surviving coins demonstrate tight die engraving standards characteristic of north Italian die cutters, though weights across this issue vary considerably within the typical pre-reform envelope of approximately 2.5 to 3.8 grams.

Obverse Design and Iconography

The obverse design presents the right-facing profile portrait of Aurelian wearing the radiate crown, the distinctive numismatic attribute identifying the antoninianus denomination. Engravers at Mediolanum rendered the emperor with the stylized martial features typical of the Illyrian soldier-emperors, including cropped hair, a close-trimmed military beard, and a firm, square jaw. The type encompasses two documented drapery variations: a bust showing radiating drapery gathered over the shoulder, or a more explicitly military cuirassed bust where the plate armor is visible beneath or around the imperial garment. Both variants served to emphasize Aurelian's active status as supreme military commander and legitimate protector of the state.

Reverse Iconography and Composition

The reverse composition illustrates an encounter between the standing emperor and Roma, the divine personification of the Roman state and imperial capital. Roma sits turned to the left, dressed in classical drapery and wearing a military helmet, resting her left arm on a round shield placed at her side. In her right hand, she holds a transverse spear, while her left hand extends a statuette of Victory holding a wreath. Aurelian stands facing her toward the right, depicted in military attire receiving or venerating the symbols of martial success. This interactive scene of imperial adventus and concord reaffirmed the ancient bond between the princeps and Roma, assuring soldiers and civilians alike that Rome's eternal majesty remained intact despite contemporary Germanic incursions across the northern frontier.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The obverse inscription reads IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, representing the standard contracted titulature for Imperator Aurelianus Augustus. This formula is direct and unadorned, omitting specific consular or tribunician numbers, which was typical for base-metal mass issues of the era. The reverse inscription appears in two primary variants: ROMAE AETER or the complete ROMAE AETERNAE, translating to 'To Eternal Rome.' The legends are engraved in clear, block capital letters characteristic of third-century northern Italian epigraphy. In the exergue or field, workshop marks may be present depending on the particular striking phase, recording the officina responsible for die manufacture and coin striking.

Typology and Chronology

In the standard reference system of Roman Imperial Coinage Volume V, compiled by Percy H. Webb, catalogue entry 142 isolates this Mediolanum radiate type within Aurelian's reign. Modern re-evaluations, notably by Sylviane Estiot and recent French numismatic corpora, place this issue in the earlier phases of Aurelian's reign between late AD 270 and early AD 274, prior to the introduction of the reformed radiate denomination marked XXI. The variation between the abbreviated legend ROMAE AETER and the fully spelled ROMAE AETERNAE reflects minor sequence shifts or simultaneous die-cutting habits across different workshops at Mediolanum. Typologically, RIC V Aurelian 142 stands distinct from contemporaneous Rome mint issues bearing the same legend, which employ differing bust treatments and workshop signatures.

Circulation and Hoard Evidence

Coins of RIC V Aurelian 142 circulated widely across the western provinces of the Roman Empire, including northern Italy, the Danubian limes, and parts of Gaul. Because they were issued prior to the recall and re-tariffing of billon under Aurelian's AD 274 reform, many of these antoniniani saw intense commercial circulation alongside surviving debased issues of Gallienus and Claudius II. Pre-reform specimens were often hoarded during the economic dislocation of the mid-270s or melted down following the introduction of heavier, higher-purity reform coinages. In modern archaeological contexts, RIC 142 occurs in regional coin hoards from Italy, the Balkans, and western Europe, providing crucial chronological markers for military movements and economic exchange during the reunification of the empire.

References

1. Monnaie et donativa au Bas-Empire. pp. 45-52
2. Monnaies de l'Empire romain XII.1: D'Aurelien a Florien (270-276 apres J.-C.). pp. 145-180
3. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 140-155
4. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 130-142
5. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Aurelian 142. ric.5.aur.142
6. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 1. p. 280, no. 142