Commodus Sestertius, RIC III Commodus 383

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

In the monetary system established during the early empire and maintained through the Antonine dynasty, the sestertius served as the principal large-denomination brass coin of everyday commerce. Struck from orichalcum, a golden copper-zinc alloy, the sestertius had a tariffed value of four asses or one quarter of a silver denarius. By 183 AD, the high-denomination bronze denominations continued to bridge the gap between high-value silver coinage used for military stipends and the smaller fractional bronze issues utilized for localized daily transactions. The physical scale of the sestertius flan provided the imperial administration with an expansive canvas for dynastic and civic messaging. Issues of this weight standard circulated broadly throughout civilian markets in Italy and the western Roman provinces, where their clear typological statements were widely read by populations participating in the cash economy.

Production and Minting Operations

The entire production of RIC III Commodus 383 was executed at the central imperial mint in Rome. Operating under the ultimate constitutional authority of the emperor alongside the traditional administrative involvement of the Roman Senate, the mint utilized manually engraved iron dies to strike preheated cast blanks. Sestertii of the Antonine period exhibited a wide variance in physical dimensions due to manufacturing processes that regulated batch weights rather than the weight of individual coin blanks. As a consequence, typical specimens of this series range from approximately 20 to 28 grams in weight and maintain a diameter between 29 and 32 millimeters. Surviving specimens show die axes commonly oriented at twelve o'clock or six o'clock, reflecting the structured alignment practices of the Rome mint workshops during the late second century AD.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC III Commodus 383 displays the right-facing head of Commodus wearing a laurel wreath. By 183 AD, the portraiture of Commodus had transitioned from the youthful likenesses seen during his joint reign with his father Marcus Aurelius to a mature depiction featuring a full curled beard and carefully arranged locks of hair in the Antonine court style. The laurel wreath symbolizes imperial victor and commander, tied at the nape of the neck with ribbon ties extending downward onto the truncation. The portrait engraving is typical of the skilled artistry of the urban Rome mint, capturing individualized facial traits while adhering strictly to the idealized physiognomic conventions of imperial legitimacy.

Reverse Typology and Composition

Unlike standard issues celebrating the happiness of the times with the personification of Felicitas standing with a caduceus, RIC III Commodus 383 features an epigraphic design completely enclosed within a laurel wreath. The central field is dominated by the multi-line inscription commemorating the golden age and the titles of the emperor, bounded by the enclosing foliage. The wreath itself is tied with a bow at the bottom and terminates in two leaves or berries at the top. Below or within the lower perimeter of the wreath, the letters S C appear, signifying Senatus Consulto to indicate senatorial decree. This wreath presentation echoes republican and early imperial traditions of civic crowns, emphasizing the shared public benefit and civic blessing attributed to the emperor's rule.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The obverse legend reads M COMMODVS ANTONINVS AVG PIVS, reflecting Marcus Commodus Antoninus Augustus Pius. Commodus had adopted the surname Pius in early 183 AD, signaling devotion to traditional religion and filial loyalty to the deified Antonines. The reverse legend is continuous with the obverse administrative titulature: TEMPORVM FELICITAS TR P VIII IMP VI COS IIII P P S C. This legend translates as the Felicity of the Times, Tribunician Power for the eighth time, Imperator for the sixth time, Consul for the fourth time, Father of the Country, by Decree of the Senate. The combination of these constitutional markers enables precise dating, documenting Commodus's civil and military titles during the course of the administrative year.

Typology and Chronological Classification

RIC III Commodus 383 represents a tightly dated issue produced exclusively in 183 AD. The chronological sequence is firmly anchored by TR P VIII, which commenced in late 182 or early 183 AD and concluded in late 183 AD, alongside his sixth imperial salutation (IMP VI) and fourth consulship (COS IIII). The issue falls within the turbulent months following the failed conspiracy orchestrated by his sister Lucilla and Marcus Ummidius Quadratus. In the aftermath of this palace crisis, the mint produced a targeted series of propagandistic types emphasizing political stability, divine favor, and felicity. While related sestertius issues of 183 AD utilize standing figures of Felicitas or Salus, the enclosed-wreath type of RIC III 383 constitutes a distinct, formal epigraphic variety within the Rome mint's bronze output.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

As with most Antonine sestertii, coins of this type entered extensive circulation across the western territories of the Roman Empire, including Italy, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and Britain. Sestertii circulated for decades due to their robust weight and low intrinsic precious-metal risk, frequently remaining in market use well into the third century AD until the debasement of the silver coinage disrupted the traditional bronze denominations. Surviving specimens across European site finds and hoards regularly display substantial surface wear, smoothing of the peripheral legends, and natural patina formation, confirming that RIC III Commodus 383 was an active circulating medium rather than a purely ceremonial medallion.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. pp. 780-785
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Commodus 383. ric.3.com.383
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 407, no. 383
4. Die Münzprägung der Kaiser Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus und Commodus (MIR 18). Moneta Imperii Romani 18, Commodus emissions of 183 AD