Commodus Silver Denarius RIC III Commodus 113

Monetary Context

During the mid-180s AD, the Roman monetary system remained anchored by the silver denarius and the gold aureus, supported by an array of subsidiary orichalcum and copper denominations. Under Commodus, the silver coinage faced structural pressures stemming from military expenditures along distant frontiers and lavish civic subsidies within the capital. The denarius of this phase continued the progressive metallurgical adjustments initiated in earlier decades, maintaining an average struck weight around 2.8 to 3.2 grams with a silver fineness typically hovering near seventy-five percent. This standard represented a moderate reduction from the standards of the earlier Antonine emperors, reflecting broader fiscal demands on the imperial treasury. The denarius served as the primary instrument for paying legionary wages, bureaucratic salaries, and state contracts across the provinces. Consequently, the imagery chosen for the denarius functioned as a high-velocity medium for state messaging. By AD 184, military emergencies in northern Britannia had tested Roman imperial authority along Hadrian's Wall, prompting vigorous counter-offensives under the legate Ulpius Marcellus. The successful stabilization of the northern frontier provided an essential opportunity for Commodus to reaffirm his stature as an imperator capable of defending the empire's borders. The issuance of denarii combining military victory with the promise of communal well-being and prosperity was an integral part of this monetary and political strategy.

Production and Mints

RIC III Commodus 113 was produced entirely by the imperial mint in Rome, which maintained exclusive authority over the striking of regular precious metal coinage for the Western empire at this date. Operating within a dedicated workshop system, the mint utilized specialized teams of engravers (scalptores), flan preparers, and strikers to execute large-scale emissions required for imperial disbursements. Flans were produced by casting silver blanks in open molds or cutting cast silver strips, which were then adjusted in weight prior to striking. The dies were engraved by hand into iron or bronze matrices using intaglio techniques, producing dies capable of striking several thousand coins before succumbing to wear, cracking, or die fatigue. Surviving specimens of this type demonstrate minor variations in the execution of the laureate portrait, the rendering of Victory's drapery, and the spacing of the dense reverse legends. Such variations reflect the output of multiple concurrent die cutters working within the mint rather than deliberate alterations in the official typological standard.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse of RIC III Commodus 113 presents a laureate head of Commodus oriented to the right. The portraiture belongs to the emperor's mature iconographic phase, distinct from his youthful depictions under Marcus Aurelius. Commodus is depicted with tightly curled hair, a full beard, and the laurel wreath of victory resting upon his brow with the ribbon ties trailing downward at the back of the neck. In Roman imperial numismatics, the laurel wreath served as an enduring symbol of triumphal authority and civic preservation. During this period of his reign, the portraiture retained a traditional Antonine sculptural style, conveying continuity with his father while asserting his personal authority. The presence of the newly adopted victory title on the surrounding legend directly complements the wreath, presenting the sovereign as both a victorious field commander and the supreme guardian of the Roman populace.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse iconography of RIC III Commodus 113 features a multi-layered composition centered on the winged goddess Victory. She is depicted half-draped, standing facing toward the right, with her left foot placed firmly upon a fallen military helmet. In her left hand, Victory holds and secures an oval or circular votive shield against the trunk of a tall palm tree. The shield itself is inscribed with the abbreviated votive formula VO DE. Every element of this design carries specific political and religious connotations. The palm tree represents exotic conquest, long-standing triumphal tradition, and enduring vitality. The act of affixing a trophy or inscribed shield to a tree is rooted in classical Roman practices of dedicating battlefield spoils to the gods. Victory resting her foot upon a helmet emphasizes the complete subjugation and disarming of the enemy, specifically the insurgent tribes of northern Britain. The inscription on the shield points directly to the imperial vows (vota), celebrating either the completion or anticipation of decennial vows marking a decade of rule. Through this visual synthesis, the die engravers fused military pacification with religious duty, presenting peace as the natural consequence of divinely sanctioned victory.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The obverse inscription reads M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT, a formula representing Marcus Commodus Antoninus Pius Felix Augustus Britannicus. This legend represents an important epigraphic milestone: the title Britannicus was taken in the autumn of AD 184 following reports of victory in the British campaigns, while Pius and Felix underline the emperor's declared piety and divinely favored good fortune. The lettering is rendered in neat Roman epigraphic capitals running clockwise along the outer rim. The reverse inscription is extensive and tightly arranged, reading P M TR P X IMP VII COS IIII P P SAEC FEL, with VO DE inscribed directly across the field on the shield. The primary text decodes as Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate decimum, Imperator septimum, Consul quartum, Pater Patriae, Saeculum Felix. The titular sequence provides precise chronological framing: Commodus held his tenth tribunician power from December AD 184 to December AD 185, held the seventh imperial acclamation, and had entered his fourth consulship in AD 183. The closing phrase, Saeculum Felix, proclaims a fortunate or happy epoch, asserting that the emperor's rule had ushered in an era of civic renewal. The interior inscription VO DE denotes Vota Decennalia, linking the celebration of ten years of imperial rule with the successful defense of the empire.

Typology and Chronological Placement

RIC III Commodus 113 occupies an unmistakable position in the chronology of Commodus's coinage, bounded by his tenth tribunician year and seventh imperial acclamation. The British victories of late AD 184 triggered an extensive commemorative issue across multiple denominations, including aurei, denarii, and bronze sestertii. Within this broader series, several reverse types were employed, including personifications of Britannia seated upon rocks and traditional figures of Victory holding wreaths and palms. Type 113 represents a specialized variant within the Victory group that merges the British triumphal acclamation with the decennial vota celebration. The presence of IMP VII together with TR P X dates the striking securely to AD 184 or 185. As Commodus advanced to his eighth imperial acclamation in AD 185, the reverse legends were updated accordingly, terminating the production of this specific type. Numismatists have noted that while the main legend formula remains consistent across dies, slight variations in the placement of the palm fronds and the arrangement of the letters VO DE on the shield appear among individual working dies.

Circulation and Monetary Life

Upon being struck at Rome, denarii of type RIC III Commodus 113 entered the broad stream of state payments. A substantial portion of new silver issues during this decade was dispatched to military concentrations along the Rhine and Danube frontiers, as well as back to Britannia to reinforce garrisons and settle arrears following the northern disturbances. In addition, these coins circulated extensively in civic markets across Italy and the Mediterranean provinces. Hoard evidence from across the Roman world indicates that denarii struck under Commodus remained in active circulation for several decades. Because Commodus's denarii possessed a lower silver purity than the pre-148 AD issues of the earlier empire, they were less prone to being selectively withdrawn and hoarded under Gresham's Law than higher-grade Trajanic or Antonine issues. Instead, they circulated alongside the denarii of Marcus Aurelius, Lucius Verus, and subsequently Septimius Severus. Many surviving specimens show substantial wear from prolonged commercial transactions, with some remaining in currency until the general monetary debasements of the mid-third century AD.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume IV: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. Commodus, nos. 147-152
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 150-165
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC III Commodus 113. ric.3.com.113
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume III: Antoninus Pius to Commodus. p. 379, no. 113