Caracalla Bronze As, RIC IV Caracalla 603a (as)

Monetary Context

The monetary landscape under Caracalla witnessed significant fiscal realignment, marked by the debasement of silver coinage and the introduction of the antoninianus or double denarius in AD 215. While state expenditures on military remuneration and architectural monuments drove precious-metal policy, copper-alloy denominations remained essential for everyday retail commerce within Italy and urban centers throughout the western provinces. The bronze as had long served as the fundamental lower-tier denomination of the Augustan monetary system, valued at one-fourth of a sestertius, one-sixteenth of a denarius, and one-thirty-second of the new double denarius. Despite severe inflationary pressures and diminishing output of base-metal coinage relative to early imperial levels, the Rome mint continued to strike asses, dupondii, and sestertii for dynastic and ceremonial purposes. Striking issues in the name of Julia Domna affirmed the dynasty's legitimacy and the empress's centrality in Severan imperial ideology.

Production and Minting

RIC IV Caracalla 603a (as) was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint of Rome. Operating under the administrative oversight of the imperial fiscus, the mint struck the type on prepared copper-alloy flans using manual hammer striking between engraved dies. Die alignment for the issue typically adheres to the standard inverted or upright Severan orientations of 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock. As the smallest standard bronze denomination in the traditional imperial triad, the as was struck on a slightly lighter average weight standard than that of the high Antonine era, reflecting gradual downward drift in base-metal module size by the early third century AD. Although metallurgical composition varied, asses of this period were composed predominantly of bronze or copper with modest trace impurities, struck alongside orichalcum sestertii and dupondii.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse displays an imperial portrait of Julia Domna, shown draped and diademed facing right. Her hair is arranged in the distinctive Severan imperial style: elaborately waved in wide horizontal ridges, drawn back over the ears, and gathered low at the nape of the neck into a broad plait or chignon. This late portraiture reflects an established matronly iconography that matured after AD 211, departing from the softer, lighter hairstyles of her early court portraits under Septimius Severus. The diadem highlights her exceptional status as empress mother and senior imperial consort. Surrounding the bust, the inscription IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG identifies the empress with honorific titles that reflect imperial benevolence, fortune, and religious dedication.

Reverse Iconography

The reverse iconography centers on Felicitas, the personification of divine favor, prosperity, and civic well-being. She is depicted draped and standing toward the left, holding a patera in her extended right hand to offer a libation over a low, burning altar, while cradling a caduceus in her left arm. The caduceus, traditional attribute of Mercury and symbol of peaceful commerce and abundance, reinforces the promise of civic harmony. By combining the act of sacrifice with the attribute of prosperity, the design explicitly ties public happiness to pious devotion. In the field, flanking the figure, the letters S C (Senatus Consulto) signify the formal, traditional authority of the Senate in approving the production of base-metal coinage.

Epigraphy and Legends

The inscriptions on RIC IV Caracalla 603a (as) convey standard Severan political vocabulary. The obverse legend, IVLIA PIA FELIX AVG (Julia Pia Felix Augusta), marks the introduction of the titles Pia ('Pious' or 'Dutiful') and Felix ('Fortunate' or 'Blessed') into Julia Domna's coinage, an epigraphic development that gained prominence following the death of Septimius Severus and continued throughout Caracalla's sole reign. The reverse legend, SAECVLI FELICITAS, translates as 'The Felicity of the Age' or 'The Blessedness of the Era,' serving as an ideological affirmation of current imperial rule. The abbreviation S C reflects the venerable republican legacy of senatorial sanction, preserved on imperial copper and bronze issues down into the third century AD.

Typology and Chronological Sequence

Catalogued in Roman Imperial Coinage as RIC IV Caracalla 603a (as), this type belongs to the extensive coin series struck for Julia Domna during Caracalla's sole reign between AD 211 and AD 217. It corresponds typologically to Cohen 179 and BMC 224. Within the broader numismatic system, the Saeculi Felicitas sacrificial type was simultaneously struck across multiple denominations, including the silver denarius, the orichalcum sestertius (RIC IV Caracalla 590), and the dupondius. The distinguishing characteristic of entry 603a within the bronze series is the diademed, draped bust on the as module, catalogued separately from variants without the diadem or those exhibiting distinct bust draping. Because the legends lack tribunician or consular numbers, the type cannot be assigned to an exact calendar year, but its use of the Pia Felix formula securely establishes production between the death of Severus in AD 211 and Domna's death in AD 217.

Circulation and Archaeological Context

During the early third century AD, Roman bronze asses circulated primarily within Italy and along military settlement zones in the western provinces, such as the Rhine and Danube frontiers and Britannia. However, bronze production in the Rome mint was declining in volume relative to silver coinage, leading third-century populations to circulate second-century bronze coins alongside contemporary issues. In regional hoards and site finds, asses of Julia Domna regularly appear with moderate to heavy wear, indicating that they remained in active circulation for decades following their initial striking. The presence of such base-metal issues in daily market transactions demonstrates their vital utility in bridging the gap between fractional bronze pieces and precious-metal denominations.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 473-474, no. 224
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Caracalla 603a (as). ric.4.crl.603a_as
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part I: Pertinax to Geta. p. 312, no. 603a