Philip I Bronze Sestertius RIC IV Philip I 168A

Monetary Context and the Third-Century Sestertius

By the reign of Philip the Arab (AD 244 to 249), the traditional Augustan denomination system was enduring severe fiscal strain. The antoninianus, or double denarius, had become the primary silver coin of state payments, suffering gradual debasement in fineness and weight. In contrast, base-metal coinage, dominated by the brass orichalcum sestertius, continued to circulate widely in regional market transactions, public distributions, and daily retail trade across the Western provinces and Italy. While the physical flans of mid-third-century sestertii showed greater variability in weight and fabric compared to the carefully calibrated issues of the second century, they retained substantial public trust. The large flan of the sestertius provided the imperial administration with an expansive canvas for official ideological messaging. By ordering the striking of issues like RIC IV Philip I 168A, the imperial court sought to project an image of institutional stability, agricultural abundance, and regular civil administration at a time when military expenditures placed immense pressure on the imperial treasury.

Production Standards and Mint Operation

RIC IV Philip I 168A was struck exclusively at the principal imperial mint in Rome. Mid-third-century copper-alloy production at Rome utilized multiple officinae organized to supply coordinated emissions of gold, silver, and bronze denominations simultaneously. The sestertii of this period were cast as round blanks from copper alloys containing varying proportions of zinc, tin, and lead, often recycling older bronze stock due to shifting resource supplies. Although earlier imperial sestertii adhered to an average standard around 25 to 28 grams, specimens under Philip I typically fluctuated across a broader range, commonly falling between 16 and 22 grams, with diameters averaging approximately 28 to 31 millimeters. Striking was performed using heavy manual hammers, and die axis orientations typically favored an upright or inverted alignment, though slight rotational shifts were common. Surviving specimens show that die preparation remained relatively disciplined at Rome, even as output volumes rose to meet political obligations.

Obverse Iconography

The obverse of RIC IV Philip I 168A presents a right-facing portrait bust of Philip the Arab characterized by the realistic, soldier-emperor portraiture style of the mid-third century. He is depicted wearing a laurel wreath, whose ties fall along the back of the neck, and his shoulders are clad in military cuirass and draped mantle. The facial features consistently display closely cropped hair, a neatly trimmed beard, and furrowed brow lines, conveying mature military authority and gravitas. This standardized bust type, combining the laurel wreath with cuirass and paludamentum, served as the primary formal representation of the senior Augustus on non-radiate base-metal coinage, differentiating sestertii immediately from the radiate-crowned double sestertii or antoniniani produced within the same monetary framework.

Reverse Iconography and Attributes

The reverse iconography centers on Annona, the personification of the grain harvest and the state-regulated distribution system that sustained the population of Rome. She stands facing left, draped in a traditional stola. In her right hand, she holds ears of wheat directly over a modius situated at her feet, demonstrating the physical act of provisioning. In her left arm, she cradles an overflowing cornucopiae, symbolizing general fertility, prosperity, and imperial largesse. In the lower field, the letters S and C are placed symmetrically to the left and right of the figure, recording the traditional formula Senatus Consulto. The presence of the modius is a crucial typological attribute of RIC IV Philip I 168A, distinguishing this issue from alternative Annona compositions that omit the grain-measure vessel or feature a ship's prow.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The obverse legend reads IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG, an abbreviated Latin formula expanding to Imperator Marcus Iulius Philippus Augustus. This legend asserts Philip's supreme military command through the title Imperator, cites his full nomen and gentilicium, and concludes with the imperial title Augustus. The reverse carries the legend ANNONA AVGG, complemented by S C in the field. The spelling AVGG features a doubled terminal G, indicating the dual Augusti. This epigraphic marker is historically significant, signifying the joint rule of Philip I alongside his son Philip II. While Philip II was initially appointed Caesar upon his father's accession in AD 244, he was elevated to co-Augustus in AD 247. The phrase Senatus Consulto highlights the formal legislative sanction of the Roman Senate, an enduring legal fiction that was maintained on imperial bronze denominations throughout the Principate.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology established by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage, volume IV part 3, issue 168A is defined by the precise combination of the laureate, draped, and cuirassed obverse bust with the modius-bearing Annona reverse. Parallel listings in the series demonstrate minor die variations, such as busts showing drapery only, bare cuirass, or alternate portrait orientations. Chronologically, the reverse legend ANNONA AVGG provides a useful terminus post quem. The doubled G points either to Philip II's formal elevation to Augustus in AD 247 or to an anticipatory expression of collective imperial authority encompassing the dynastic partnership initiated earlier in the reign. Although the broader series spans the reign from AD 244 to 249, numismatists generally place the emission of ANNONA AVGG types in the later segment of the reign, concurrent with preparations for and celebrations of the Roman Millennium in AD 248.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Recovery

Sestertii of Philip I circulated across Italy and the western Roman frontiers, including Gaul, the Rhine, and the Danube provinces, where bronze coinage was indispensable for military encampments and civilian markets. Archaeological hoard evidence demonstrates that sestertii struck under the Severan dynasty and the soldier-emperors frequently remained in use for several decades, accumulating substantial circulation wear before deposition. Due to the high purchasing power of base metal relative to everyday agricultural goods, coins of the Annona type saw active handling. In modern archaeological contexts, RIC IV Philip I 168A is recovered both as isolated site finds and within mixed-reign bronze hoards terminating during the reigns of Postumus, Claudius Gothicus, or the Aurelianic monetary reforms of the early AD 270s, which ultimately curtailed large-flan bronze production.

References

1. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-148
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 129-135
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Philip I 168A. ric.4.ph_i.168A
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part III: Gordian III - Uranius Antoninus. p. 88, no. 168A