Macrinus Gold Aureus: RIC IV Macrinus 12

Monetary and Political Context

The accession of Marcus Opellius Macrinus in April AD 217 marked a rare constitutional moment in Roman imperial history. As an equestrian bureaucrat serving as praetorian prefect rather than a member of the senatorial aristocracy, Macrinus faced acute scrutiny regarding his right to rule. Gold coinage formed the premier medium through which a new princeps communicated political legitimacy, rewarded crucial military factions, and satisfied traditional civic obligations. The gold aureus functioned less as an everyday transactional coin than as a store of value, an instrument of massive fiscal transfers, and a ceremonial vehicle for imperial donatives distributed to praetorians and legionaries. In the monetary hierarchy of the early third century AD, the aureus was nominally tariffed at twenty-five silver denarii or fifty double denarii (antoniniani), though the progressive debasement of silver denominations placed increasing pressure on the gold standard. Under Caracalla, the weight of the aureus had settled near forty-five to the Roman pound, producing individual planchets averaging approximately 7.2 to 7.3 grams. RIC IV Macrinus 12 reflects the continuation of this monetary benchmark, preserving gold purity and standard mass to maintain confidence across Roman financial networks.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

RIC IV Macrinus 12 was manufactured at the principal imperial mint in Rome. Although Macrinus remained in the eastern provinces throughout his brief reign, conducting campaigns and negotiations in Mesopotamia and wintering at Antioch, the central metropolitan mint continued to produce substantial official issues under senatorial oversight and bureaucratic guidance. Engravers in Rome received official instructions regarding titulature and iconographic mandates, executing reverse types that aligned with standard imperial protocol for a new reign. Die preparation for gold aurei was conducted with superior craftsmanship relative to contemporary billon and bronze strikings. Dies were carved into hardened bronze or iron, with carefully planned flan beveling and centered alignment. Striking took place hot, yielding strong relief and crisp lettering. Weight standards for this type demonstrate adherence to the post-AD 215 standard, where aurei hovered between 7.15 and 7.35 grams, though individual surviving specimens naturally exhibit minor variations resulting from manual flan adjustment and subsequent wear.

Obverse Iconography and Royal Depiction

The obverse of RIC IV Macrinus 12 presents a right-facing bust of Macrinus, adorned with the imperial laurel wreath, draped with the paludamentum, and protected by a military cuirass. A key chronological and stylistic feature of this type is the rendering of the emperor's facial hair. Engravers at the Rome mint initially worked without an immediate imperial life portrait, relying on preliminary descriptions or established models. The bust exhibits a neatly cropped, short beard and tight curls, reflecting the first portrait phase of the reign before later eastern and metropolitan portraits developed longer, philosopher-style beards. The laurel ties fall neatly behind the nape of the neck, and the detailed drapery over the armor projects imperial majesty and military command. This iconographic balance between civilian drapery and martial cuirass underscored the dual role of the emperor as supreme commander of the legions and protector of the civil order.

Reverse Iconography of Securitas

The reverse iconography of RIC IV Macrinus 12 is dominated by the seated figure of Securitas, personifying political security, civic confidence, and peaceful continuity. She is draped in traditional stola and palla, seated left upon a backless or low-backed throne. Her left elbow rests against the seat, with her hand raised to support her head in the classic sculptural posture of unperturbed repose and tranquility. In her right hand she extends a tall sceptre, symbolizing divine protection and sovereign authority. Positioned immediately before her feet in the left field is a lighted sacrificial altar. The combination of Securitas with a burning altar deliberately unites secular tranquility with pious ritual observance. By placing Securitas at an altar, the die engravers communicated that the peace and stability of the Roman state were directly anchored in the dutiful performance of religious rites and the divine favor bestowed upon the new emperor.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The epigraphy of RIC IV Macrinus 12 conveys an explicit program of political justification and traditional religion. The obverse legend reads IMP C M OPEL SEV MACRINVS AVG, an abbreviation of Imperator Caesar Marcus Opellius Severus Macrinus Augustus. The deliberate adoption of the cognomen Severus connected Macrinus directly to the memory of Septimius Severus, creating an illusion of dynastic succession despite the violent rupture of Caracalla's death. The reverse inscription reads VOTA PVBL P M TR P, expanding to Vota Publica, Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate. The phrase Vota Publica designates the public vows undertaken by the Senate, the military, and the Roman populace for the safety and preservation of the emperor and the state. The absence of an iterative numeral following TR P (Tribunicia Potestate) securely dates the design formulation to the emperor's first tenure of tribunician power in AD 217, while Pontifex Maximus affirms his supreme religious leadership.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the typological system of the Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Macrinus 12 occupies an early position within the gold issues of AD 217. Numismatists divide the short reign of Macrinus into distinct chronological phases based on titulature and portrait morphology. The first phase spans from his elevation in April AD 217 until late autumn of that year, during which he held the tribunician power for the first time without designation to a second consulship (COS II). The combination of the unnumbered TR P title with the short-bearded portrait firmly anchors RIC IV Macrinus 12 to this initial emission. Companion types of this same emission in gold feature alternative deities and virtues such as Felicitas, Fides Militum, and Salus, each serving distinct messaging objectives. RIC IV Macrinus 12 is distinguished specifically by the presence of the seated Securitas holding a sceptre before a lighted altar, pairing the vow legend VOTA PVBL with early tribunician formula.

Circulation, Hoards, and Modern Survival

As a high-value gold denomination, the aureus of Macrinus saw far more restricted commercial circulation than silver denarii or bronze sestertii. Aurei were primarily disbursed as accession donatives, imperial gifts, and high-level military pay, traveling throughout the provinces with senior officers and administrative elites. Because Macrinus ruled for only fourteen months before his defeat and death in June AD 218, his total gold output was relatively modest. Many coins from his reign were subsequently recovered, melted down, or restruck under Elagabalus and Severus Alexander to recover bullion and eliminate the memory of his usurpation. Surviving specimens of RIC IV Macrinus 12 are scarce today and predominantly preserved in institutional collections and historic European hoards. Because gold does not corrode in soil, recovered examples frequently exhibit pristine metal surfaces, though light die wear or small flan adjustments from ancient mint balancing remain visible.

References

1. The Roman Aurei, Vol. II: From Caracalla to the Fall of the Western Empire. Macrinus issues
2. Description historique des monnaies frappees sous l'Empire romain, Tome IV. Macrinus, no. 143
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Macrinus 12. ric.4.mcs.12
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 5, no. 12