RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 Denarius

Monetary Context

The issue of RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 was minted in the volatile years AD 193 to 195, a critical juncture in the Roman civil wars known as the Year of the Five Emperors. Following the murder of Pertinax and the auction of the empire to Didius Julianus, Septimius Severus marched on Rome from Pannonia. To secure his rear and prevent a immediate confrontation on two fronts, Severus offered Decimus Clodius Albinus, the aristocratic governor of Britannia commanding three legions, the formal rank of Caesar. This political compact gave Albinus designated heir status and imperial honors while Severus campaigned in the east against Pescennius Niger. The monetary output produced in Rome during this interval reflected this shared administration. Coins struck in the name of Albinus Caesar were produced at the capital's principal mint under the authority of Severus, fulfilling an agreement that sustained the façade of constitutional collegiality. The denarius formed the staple silver denomination of this settlement, providing a tangible medium through which the Roman public, the Senate, and the military could observe the legitimization of Albinus alongside the Severan regime.

Production and Mints

Numismatic scholarship unanimously assigns RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 to the mint of Rome. The stylistic rendering of the portraiture, fine die-cutting techniques, neat letterforms, and fabric correspond precisely to contemporary issues produced for Septimius Severus and Julia Domna between AD 193 and 195. Unlike the later provincial denarii struck at Lugdunum after Albinus declared himself Augustus in late AD 195, this issue was struck in the central imperial mint. Metrologically, the denarius of this period conformed to the reduced standard maintained under the early Severan administration. Although Nero's and subsequent standards had established earlier baselines, by AD 193-194 the denarius possessed a theoretical target weight averaging approximately 3.0 to 3.2 grams, with a silver fineness hovering between 70% and 80%. Die preparation was executed by veteran engravers in Rome, resulting in well-centered, crisp dies that reflected the official artistic standards of the central workshops.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse of RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 features the bare head of Clodius Albinus facing right. In Roman imperial iconographic convention, the absence of the laurel wreath or radiate crown explicitly signified the subordinate rank of Caesar. The portrait is rendered in classicizing, dignified style, showing a mature male with a neatly trimmed, curly beard and short, cropped hair characteristic of high-status Roman commanders of the Antonine and Severan eras. The die engravers at Rome captured individualized features, including a strong brow, straight nose, and composed facial expression, establishing his public image in Rome as an aristocratic, senatorial peer fully integrated into the imperial college.

Reverse Iconography

The reverse iconography depicts Roma, the divine personification of the Roman state and empire, seated facing left. She is shown helmeted and wearing long drapery that falls gracefully around her form, resting upon a circular or oval military shield. In her outstretched right hand, Roma holds the Palladium, the archaic cult statuette of Pallas Athena believed to preserve the physical safety and sovereignty of Rome. In her left hand, she holds a tall, upright sceptre, symbolizing dominion and legitimate sovereign authority. This specific iconographic schema evokes ancient religious protection, perpetual renewal, and the majesty of the Roman heartland at a time when civil conflict threatened institutional stability.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The reverse legend of the coin is inscribed as ROMAE AETERNAE, reading continuously around the periphery. Rendered in the dative case ('to Eternal Rome'), the legend functions as a dedicatory formula honoring the immortal city and expressing prayers for the longevity of the state under the guided leadership of the imperial authorities. The obverse legend presents the official titicature of Albinus as recognized by the Senate and Severus, typically reading D CLOD SEPT ALBIN CAES (Decimus Clodius Septimius Albinus Caesar). The lettering demonstrates the skilled lapidary capitals typical of the Rome mint in the mid-190s AD, characterized by crisp serifs, consistent letter spacing, and symmetrical positioning relative to the die borders.

Typology and Chronology

In the structural framework of the Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 forms part of the Caesar-period issues produced exclusively at Rome prior to the rupture between Severus and Albinus. Harold Mattingly and Edward Sydenham catalogued these Rome mint issues under the reign of Septimius Severus and Albinus Caesar for the period AD 193-195. The type shares thematic coherence with other Rome issues honoring traditional virtues and deities, such as Providentia, Fortuna, and Minerva, which presented Albinus as a loyal and pious co-ruler. When Severus defeated Niger and appointed his son Caracalla as Caesar in late AD 195, the alliance collapsed. Albinus was declared a public enemy, proclaimed Augustus by his troops, and subsequently relocated his primary base to Gaul, where he established a separate mint at Lugdunum. RIC IV 11 must therefore be strictly isolated from the later Lugdunum issues, belonging exclusively to the formal AD 193-195 Rome phase.

Circulation and Monetary Life

Following their release from the Rome mint, denarii of RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11 circulated throughout Italy and the provinces alongside the regular Severan coin pool. Because Albinus had held command over Britain and possessed widespread political support in Gaul and Hispania, coins bearing his name and Caesar title entered military pay chests and private commerce across the western provinces. Even after Albinus's defeat and death at the Battle of Lugdunum in early AD 197 and the subsequent damnatio memoriae decreed against him, vast demonetization of his silver denarii was economically unfeasible. As with most civil war silver, coins of this type remained in general circulation, gradually losing mass through trade until being buried in coin hoards or culled during later Severan and third-century re-meltings.

References

1. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan Decius. pp. 543-558
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum (BMCRE), Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 35-37
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Clodius Albinus 11. ric.4.ca.11
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part I: Pertinax to Geta. p. 45, no. 11