Eugenius Silver Siliqua

Monetary Context and Denominational System

By the final decades of the fourth century AD, the Roman silver denomination known conventionally as the siliqua occupied a crucial intermediary position between high-value gold solidi and low-value base metal nummi. Originally introduced during the monetary restructuring of Constantine I and formalized under Constantius II, the silver siliqua had undergone progressive standard reductions. In the late Valentinianic period, the theoretical tariff corresponded to a reduced standard struck at approximately 1/216 of a Roman pound, yielding an intended weight around 1.50 grams, though production medians commonly clustered between 1.20 and 1.45 grams. During the brief usurped reign of Eugenius (AD 392 to 394), the silver siliqua functioned as a primary medium for administrative disbursements, civic exchange, and essential military stipends across the dioceses of Gaul, Italy, and Britannia. Silver was particularly vital for maintaining the fidelity of frontier garrisons and federate contingents stationed along the Rhine and upper Danube, where troops expected regular donatives and pay in sound coin. Eugenius inherited a monetary structure that operated with high-purity silver, yet one that faced widespread logistical strain, metal shortages, and localized hoarding pressures across the western imperial borders.

Mints, Workshops, and Production Output

Production of Eugenius's silver siliquae was heavily concentrated in the primary administrative capitals of the western provinces under his effective control. The dominant production centers were Treveri (Trier), Lugdunum (Lyon), and Mediolanum (Milan), supplemented by minimal or intermittent activity at Roma and Aquileia. Treveri and Lugdunum served as the chief Gallic striking centers, supplying the field armies and northern administrative apparatus. Mint signatures on the exergue clearly identified these operational centers: Treveri struck silver primarily marked TRPS, indicating refined silver (pusulatum) produced at the Treveri workshop; Lugdunum signed its siliquae as LVGPS; and Mediolanum, which became Arbogast and Eugenius's Italian headquarters, marked its silver emissions MDPS. The abbreviation PS or similar qualifying marks denoted guaranteed fineness, attesting to rigorous assaying methods. Die-link studies and hoard distributions indicate that Treveri and Mediolanum struck silver siliquae in significant quantities, whereas issues from Rome (RMPS) and Aquileia (AQPS) remain considerably scarcer, reflecting both the shifting geography of the imperial court and the rapid pace of the political confrontation with Theodosius I.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Representation

The obverse design of Eugenius's siliqua is striking for its deliberate departure from the prevailing imperial aesthetic of the fourth century. The emperor is uniformly depicted facing right, wearing the pearl diadem, imperial mantle (paludamentum), and cuirass fastened at the shoulder with a round gem-set fibula. What sets Eugenius decisively apart from predecessors like Valentinian II, Gratian, and Theodosius I is the presence of a short, neatly rendered beard. Not since Julian (AD 361 to 363) had an emperor consistently appeared bearded on regular western imperial issues. While Julian's long beard had evoked pagan philosophical cynicism, Eugenius's shorter beard recalled the intellectual countenance of a Roman grammarian, rhetorician, and civil magistrate. Eugenius was a baptized Christian whose elevation was orchestrated by Arbogast and supported by pagan traditionalists in the Roman Senate such as Virius Nicomachus Flavianus. The portraiture deftly negotiated this political tightrope, projecting mature senatorial dignity, gravitas, and civic legitimacy rather than provocative religious defiance.

Reverse Designs and Ideological Themes

The reverse types struck on Eugenius's silver siliquae were intentionally conservative and focused on traditional Roman civic imagery, avoiding divisive religious emblems. The overwhelming majority of his siliquae display the personification of Roma. The most prevalent type portrays Roma seated to the left on a cuirass or throne, holding a miniature Victory on a globe in her outstretched right hand and an inverted spear in her left. On issues produced at Treveri and Mediolanum, this iconography is consistently paired with the legend VIRTVS ROMANORVM ('The Courage of the Romans'). At Lugdunum, the reverse imagery often shows Roma enthroned holding Victory on a globe and spear under the legend VRBS ROMA ('The City of Rome'). These classical compositions functioned as unassailable patriotic motifs. In a period when Eugenius desperately sought official collegial recognition from Theodosius in Constantinople, issuing silver with universally respected personifications of Roma avoided the overt Christian monograms of the East while simultaneously reassuring traditional western aristocrats that old Roman virtues were being upheld.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The legends on Eugenius's siliquae conform to standard late imperial epigraphic formulas while preserving precise titular assertions. The regular obverse legend reads D N EVGENI-VS P F AVG, expanded as Dominus Noster Eugenius Pius Felix Augustus ('Our Lord Eugenius, Pious and Fortunate Emperor'). The legend break generally occurs across the center of the emperor's diadem, dividing EVGENI from VS. The spelling of the name Eugenius remains stable across all confirmed mints. On the reverse, inscriptions are rendered in neat, compact lettering. The two standard legends are VIRTVS RO-MANORVM, broken across the upper field flanking Roma's head, and VRBS RO-MA, similarly divided. Exergual legends convey both mint authority and metallurgical certification, predominantly combining the initial city abbreviation with PS: TRPS for Treveri, LVGPS for Lugdunum, MDPS for Mediolanum, RMPS for Roma, and AQPS for Aquileia. Minor die variations exist in lettering style, letter spacing, and the form of the throne or cuirass legs, providing epigraphers with indicators for workshop organization.

Typology and Chronological Evolution

The chronological envelope of Eugenius's siliquae is constrained to the twenty-four months between his accession on 22 August AD 392 and his death at the Battle of the Frigidus on 6 September AD 394. The series can be organized into two main operational phases across the mints. Phase One (late AD 392 to mid 393) corresponds to the consolidation of authority in Gaul and the immediate opening of production at Treveri and Lugdunum. During this initial period, Eugenius struck silver in his own name alongside issues striking in the name of Theodosius I and Arcadius, an effort to present an olive branch and suggest a harmonious imperial college. Phase Two (late AD 393 to summer 394) reflects the failure of diplomatic rapprochement, particularly after Theodosius proclaimed his younger son Honorius as Augustus in January 393. In this phase, Eugenius and Arbogast advanced into Italy, establishing their court at Mediolanum. Silver production surged at Mediolanum, striking heavily under the VIRTVS ROMANORVM type to fund troops for the impending civil conflict, while Italian production at Rome and Aquileia was briefly mobilized before Theodosius's eastern armies forced the Alpine passes.

Circulation, Hoards, and Clipping Phenomena

Eugenius's silver siliquae enjoyed widespread circulation across the Western Roman provinces, leaving an especially pronounced footprint in the British and northern Gallic hoard records. Prominent hoards such as the Hoxne Hoard, Dorchester, Shapwick, and North Cemetery (Colchester) deposits contain notable percentages of Eugenius siliquae alongside those of Gratian, Valentinian II, Magnus Maximus, and Arcadius. A distinct characteristic of late fourth- and early fifth-century siliquae circulating in Britannia is the widespread practice of clipping. Hoarded siliquae of Eugenius frequently exhibit trimmed outer edges, where the outer border and parts of the legends (such as D N or P F AVG, and the exergual mint mark) were carefully cut away to harvest silver bullion while leaving the central portrait and seated Roma identifiable. This post-395 phenomenon demonstrates that Eugenius's silver continued to pass as current money long after his defeat and damnatio memoriae, remaining an indispensable store of value until the final collapse of formal Roman coin circulation in Britain around AD 410.

References

1. Romano-British Coin Hoards. pp. 48-62
2. The Trier Mint and the Supply of Silver to Gaul and Britain in the Later Roman Empire. pp. 115-130
3. The Late Roman Gold and Silver Coins from the Hoxne Treasure. pp. 39-44, 98-102
4. Late Roman Silver Hoards in Britain and the Problem of Clipping. British Numismatic Journal 51, pp. 5-31
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IX: Valentinian I to Theodosius I. pp. 31-34, 53, 79, 134, 137