Aurelian Billon Antoninianus, RIC V Aurelian 128

Monetary Context and the Crisis of the Radiate

During the late third century AD, the Roman monetary system was gripped by relentless inflation, fiscal volatility, and military disruption. The antoninianus, originally introduced by Caracalla in AD 215 as a double denarius with a theoretical silver content around fifty percent, had suffered catastrophic debasement over the course of five decades of civil wars, usurpations, and external incursions. By the ascension of Aurelian in AD 270, the denomination contained merely two to three percent silver by weight, effectively functioning as a silvered bronze coin whose surface was treated through chemical blanching to provide a brief silver appearance in commercial transactions. In this fraught environment, coin production served primarily to pay legionary salaries, finance urgent defenses, and satisfy administrative expenditure across a divided empire. The Mediolanum mint played an essential strategic role in provisioning imperial armies active in the Po Valley and the Danubian defense sector. Issues such as RIC V Aurelian 128 precede or bridge into the comprehensive currency overhaul initiated by Aurelian around AD 274. In that reform, Aurelian sought to re-establish public confidence by standardizing coin weights, recalling old debased radiates, and introducing explicit marks of value, notably the XXI mark signifying twenty parts copper to one part silver. RIC V Aurelian 128, which generally lacks the reform value formula, embodies the late stage of the pre-reform radiate system at Mediolanum, illuminating the operational realities of military coinage before systemic stabilization took full effect across imperial workshops.

Mint Operation and Production at Mediolanum

Under Aurelian, the mint at Mediolanum emerged as one of the principal Western operational centers for imperial coinage, operating alongside mints such as Rome, Siscia, Cyzicus, and later Serdica and Lugdunum. Originally established during the joint reign of Valerian and Gallienus to supply the northern Italian mobile field forces, Mediolanum maintained multiple officinae, or workshop sections, distinguished by specific sequence markings, symbols, or letters in the reverse fields and exergues. Production of RIC V Aurelian 128 was carried out by striking carefully prepared planchets cast from a heavily alloyed bronze-silver core. The blanks were subjected to surface enrichment, typically through pickling in mild acid baths to leach copper from the surface before striking, leaving a thin layer of microscopic silver that gave newly minted coins a bright metallic sheen. Metallurgical analyses of contemporary Mediolanum radiates indicate average coin weights fluctuating between 2.5 and 4.0 grams, with considerable individual variance caused by high-speed production quotas and rapid die rotation. Workshop control letters, where visible on specific emission phases of this type, often include marks such as P, S, or T in the exergue to denote the prima, secunda, or tertia officina. These organizational marks ensured internal accountability among mint masters and die-cutters while allowing scholars to reconstruct the sequential emissions of the Milanese workshops during the early to mid-270s AD.

Obverse Portrait Styles and Iconography

The obverse of RIC V Aurelian 128 displays the standard radiate crown of the antoninianus denomination, an iconographic attribute that originally designated a double-value denomination and associated the ruling emperor directly with the solar qualities of Sol Invictus. In this specific catalogue entry, three distinct bust variations are attested in the numismatic literature. The most frequent variant presents the bust of Aurelian facing right, radiate and draped, often seen from the side or back, balancing civil administrative authority with imperial majesty. A second standard configuration shows the emperor facing right, radiate and cuirassed, highlighting his status as supreme military commander and defender of the frontier provinces. The third, highly remarkable variant features a left-facing bust depicting Aurelian radiate and helmeted, wearing full military cuirass, and armed with a forward or upright spear in his right hand and an ornamented shield resting on his left shoulder. This aggressive, martial presentation emerged prominently in Western mints during the Crisis of the Third Century, portraying the ruler as an active combatant and victorious field commander engaged in safeguarding the Roman state against internal and external enemies. Die engraving at Mediolanum during this period is characterized by sharp, linear facial features, prominent noses, and tightly rendered beards, establishing an austere, formidable image that became the hallmark of Illyrian emperor portraits.

Reverse Iconography: Fortuna Redux

The reverse design of RIC V Aurelian 128 is dedicated to Fortuna Redux, depicting the personified deity of good fortune, destiny, and safe return. Fortuna is rendered as a draped female figure seated toward the left upon a backless throne or stool. In her right hand she grasps a ship rudder positioned vertically or resting on the ground, symbolizing divine guidance and navigation through the unpredictable currents of state affairs and military ventures. In her left arm she cradles a cornucopiae, the horn of plenty, signifying the material abundance, stability, and peace expected to follow the successful conclusion of imperial expeditions. Beside her seat rests a wheel, an ancient emblem of mutability, fate, and cyclical return. Within the context of Aurelian's reign, the invocation of Fortuna Redux held immense political and psychological weight. The emperor spent virtually his entire rule traveling between war fronts, confronting Germanic invasions in Northern Italy, suppressing regional rebellions, and subduing the secessionist Palmyrene Empire and Gallic Empire. Placing Fortuna Redux upon radiates produced at Mediolanum promised soldiers and civilians alike that the emperor would successfully navigate these perilous conflicts, secure victory, and return safely to the heart of the empire to restore order and prosperity.

Epigraphic Analysis and Legend Formulations

The legends present on RIC V Aurelian 128 adhere to standard imperial titular conventions while conveying precise ideological messaging. The obverse legend reads IMP AVRELIANVS AVG, an abbreviated Latin inscription expanding to Imperator Aurelianus Augustus. In this formulation, 'Imperator' functions as the victorious praenomen designating supreme command over the Roman armed forces, followed by the emperor's gentilicium 'Aurelianus', and concluding with 'Augustus', the foundational title of imperial authority instituted by Octavian. Unlike some expanded early or late formulas that incorporated patronymics or victory titles such as Restitutor Orbis, this concise formula was well-suited to the restricted die space of the late third-century antoninianus. On the reverse, the inscription reads FORTVNA REDVX, a dedicatory nominative or dative phrase hailing the specific aspect of Fortuna responsible for escorting the traveler or commander safely home. Letterforms cut at Mediolanum during this phase exhibit compact, uncial-influenced lettering with prominent serifs, though rapid die-sinking occasionally produced simplified crossbars and truncated letter strokes. Epigraphic consistency across officinae provided immediate visual recognition for illiterate and literate users alike, linking the coin's economic value directly to the legitimized authority of the Augustus named on the obverse.

Typology, Die Sequences, and Chronological Placement

Within the standard classification schemes of Roman imperial coinage, RIC V Aurelian 128 was codified by Percy H. Webb in the fifth volume of 'The Roman Imperial Coinage' (1927) and has subsequently been refined by modern corpuses, most notably Sylviane Estiot's comprehensive revision in 'Monnaies de l'Empire Romain' (MIR 47). Chronologically, the type belongs to the pre-reform production phases at Mediolanum, struck broadly between the emperor's accession in late AD 270 and the implementation of the currency reform in AD 274. Scholars categorize the series based on the evolution of portrait styles, bust directions, and the progressive introduction of officina markings in the exergue. The helmeted, spear-and-shield bust variety represents a distinct stylistic group often associated with specific military campaigns or celebratory emissions honoring imperial presence in Cisalpine Gaul. In contrast, the standard right-facing draped and cuirassed busts formed the core bulk of regular production. Die-link studies and hoard distributions demonstrate that the FORTVNA REDVX reverse type was struck in parallel with several other prominent personification types at Mediolanum, such as CONCORDIA MILITVM and VICTORIA AVG, reflecting a thematic suite emphasizing military cohesion, divine escort, and triumph. Because this type does not carry the post-reform XXI mark of value, its active production ceased or was completely re-engraved when the reformed radiate series commenced in late AD 274.

Hoard Evidence, Distribution, and Monetary Circulation

Excavation data and hoard studies from across Western and Central Europe provide extensive documentation regarding the circulation of radiates conforming to RIC V Aurelian 128. Pre-reform radiates from Mediolanum circulated widely across Northern Italy, the Alpine corridor, the Danubian limes, and the Gallic provinces following the reintegration of the Gallic Empire in AD 274. Notable British, French, and Balkan hoards, including the Normanby and Cunetio hoards, demonstrate that debased antoniniani of Aurelian frequently circulated alongside earlier issues of Gallienus, Claudius II Gothicus, and the Tetrici. Despite Aurelian's reform of AD 274, older pre-reform antoniniani were not withdrawn instantaneously. Instead, they continued to circulate at a discounted tariff or as fractional small change until the monetary reforms of Diocletian in AD 294 and 296 demonetized them completely. Wear patterns observed on specimens preserved in hoards indicate that while some coins were buried soon after striking during the turbulent mid-270s, many remained in trade for over a decade, gradually losing their thin silver coating through friction and returning to the appearance of ordinary bronze or potin. The widespread geographical dispersion of Mediolanum radiates confirms the mint's critical function as a financial engine supporting imperial military infrastructure throughout the European provinces of the Roman Empire.

References

1. The London Mint of Constantius and Constantine. Historical Introduction, third-century context
2. Monnaies de l'Empire Romain XII.1: D'Aurélien à Florien (270-276 après J.-C.). MIR 47, Mediolanum
3. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 140-147
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Aurelian 128. RIC V Aurelian 128
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part I. pp. 278-281