Philip I Antoninianus RIC IV Philip I 106b

Monetary Context and the Mid-Third-Century Antoninianus

The antoninianus, or double denarius, formed the structural foundation of Roman imperial silver coinage by the time Marcus Julius Philippus, known as Philip the Arab, ascended the throne in AD 244 following the death of Gordian III. First introduced under Caracalla in AD 215, the radiate denomination possessed an official tariff of two silver denarii despite weighing only approximately 1.5 times the traditional standard, effectively institutionalizing an overvalued token currency. By the mid-240s AD, production of the denarius had virtually ceased for ordinary transactions, leaving the antoninianus to bear the burden of imperial military payments, administrative expenditures, and inter-provincial commerce. Philip I inherited substantial fiscal obligations, including peace settlements on the eastern frontier and substantial donatives for the Danubian and Praetorian forces. These structural pressures directly impacted the monetary standard. Metallurgical investigations of third-century coinage demonstrate that Philip's antoniniani generally maintained an average fineness between 40 and 45 percent silver, with the remainder composed of copper and minor alloy trace elements. Although this metallic standard represents a slight continuation of the debasement visible under Gordian III, Philip's monetary administration maintained remarkable consistency in mass, with typical weights clustering between 3.6 and 4.4 grams. The issue catalogued as RIC IV Philip I 106b served not as a commemorative medallion or special donative piece, but as an essential workhorse coin designed to meet massive fiscal disbursements across the empire.

Mint Organization and Production at Rome

Catalogue type RIC IV Philip I 106b is securely attributed to the imperial mint at Rome, which operated as the central hub of coinage output for Philip I. Numismatic analysis of Philip's reign has demonstrated that the Rome mint was organized into six distinct workshops, or officinae, which simultaneously struck coin types across multiple denominations for the Augustus, the Empress Otacilia Severa, and their son Philip II. While later issues of the reign, particularly the commemorative Saeculares series of the millennium celebrations in AD 248, regularly incorporated explicit officina marks in the reverse field or exergue, earlier standard issues such as 106b functioned without systematic workshop numerals. Production of RIC IV Philip I 106b was characterized by high-volume mechanical striking from hand-cut intaglio dies. Die studies show that reverse dies bearing the seated Roma design were repeatedly matched with freshly prepared obverse dies, indicating intensive, rotational striking across work shifts. The metal flans were prepared using cast strip methods and spherical blanks flattened prior to striking, which occasionally produced irregular flan contours and small perimeter fissures under the impact of the upper reverse die. The Rome mint maintained tight stylistic discipline during this phase, creating balanced compositions, well-centered portraits, and clean, legible lettering that distinguished metropolitan output from provincial or eastern auxiliary workshops.

Obverse Portraiture and Typology

The obverse of RIC IV Philip I 106b presents the right-facing bust of Philip the Arab. In accordance with the established conventions for the antoninianus denomination, the emperor is depicted wearing a radiant solar crown. The rays project upward from a diadem band, symbolizing the divine luminescence associated with Sol Invictus and serving as the primary diagnostic attribute differentiating the radiate double denomination from the laureate denarius. The specific criteria differentiating type 106b from related sub-variants lies in the execution of the imperial bust. In this type, Philip is depicted both draped and cuirassed (draped and cuirassed right). The paludamentum, or military cloak, is gathered over the left shoulder and pinned at the right, draped artistically over the plates of the metallic cuirass. This depiction synthesizes civil dignity with explicit commander-in-chief authority. Philip is portrayed with mature, rugged features: a square jaw, closely cropped hair in the traditional third-century soldier-emperor fashion, a short, trimmed beard, and prominent brow lines reflecting imperial gravitas and military experience.

Reverse Iconography of Roma Aeterna

The reverse of RIC IV Philip I 106b displays a classical representation of Roma, the divine personification of the Roman state and imperial eternity. Roma is portrayed helmeted and dressed in flowing drapery, seated facing to the left on a low curule seat or stool. In her extended right hand she supports a miniature, winged figure of Victory, who holds a wreath or palm branch toward her. In her left hand, Roma holds a vertical or slightly inclined transverse spear. Positioned at her side, resting against the base of her seat, is a circular shield depicted in profile or partial perspective. This composition draws directly on long-standing visual prototypes rooted in Hellenistic representations of Athena and classic Roman statuary, notably the cult image within the Temple of Venus and Roma built by Hadrian. The iconography expresses divine triumph and unshakeable continuity. By displaying Roma holding Victory, the issue communicates that the legitimacy of the emperor is inextricably bound to the perpetual success and celestial destiny of Rome itself. The absence of specific provincial or military victory commemorations in the field emphasizes a universal and eternal civic ideal, which provided an anchor of continuity amid the volatile political realities of the mid-third century.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The inscriptions on RIC IV Philip I 106b adhere to the concise conventions of Rome's mid-third-century mint epigraphy. The obverse legend reads IMP PHILIPPVS AVG, beginning in the lower left field and continuing clockwise along the inner perimeter. This inscription provides a condensed statement of sovereign authority: IMP (Imperator), declaring supreme military imperium and acclamation; PHILIPPVS, presenting the personal nomen of the ruler; and AVG (Augustus), affirming the full constitutional and sacred imperial office. The deliberate omission of iterative honors such as consular designations or tribunician dates characterizes this non-dated series, presenting the emperor as a timeless sovereign. The reverse inscription reads ROMAE AETERNAE, arranged around the seated personification in an unbroken arc. Rendered in the dative case ('To Eternal Rome'), the legend functions as a dedicatory formula, framing the coin as an act of homage to the timeless imperial city. The letterforms are characterized by sturdy, functional Roman capitals, executed with triangular serifs on the strokes. The epigraphy displays tight control over letter spacing, although subtle die differences occur, such as the exact convergence of the letters 'AE' or the relative height of the final 'S' on the obverse.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Within the framework established by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), volume IV, part III, the seated Roma series of Philip I is classified under catalogue numbers 106 and 107. RIC IV Philip I 106 is subdivided based on obverse bust drapery: variant 106a exhibits a radiate, cuirassed bust right without drapery, whereas variant 106b possesses the radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust. Related types include RIC 107, which features Roma holding an altar or different secondary attributes, as well as distinct gold aureus issues sharing the same reverse typology. Chronologically, RIC IV Philip I 106b belongs to the broad emission spanning AD 244 to 249. While the absence of tribunician dates precludes pinpointing an exact year, numismatic sequencing and hoard distributions place the start of this issue relatively early in Philip's reign, starting in AD 244 alongside other early Roma and Virtus types. Some scholars propose that the ROMAE AETERNAE series remained in active production through AD 247, directly anticipating the massive Ludi Saeculares emissions of AD 248. The type concluded prior to Philip's defeat and death at Verona in late summer AD 249.

Hoard Evidence and Monetary Circulation

Extensive hoard documentation across Britain, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces attests to the massive scale of circulation experienced by RIC IV Philip I 106b. Large third-century deposits, such as the Cunetio and Dorchester hoards in Britain and numerous continental hoards buried during the late third century, contain significant representations of Philip's Rome-minted antoniniani, including the ROMAE AETERNAE type. Because Philip's coins possessed a relatively solid standard compared to the catastrophic hyper-debasements under Gallienus and Claudius II Gothicus in the 260s AD, they were actively retained and hoarded. During its primary period of use, this antoninianus moved swiftly along military supply corridors linking the central capital to legions along the Rhine and Danube. Physical specimens retrieved from archaeological contexts frequently exhibit moderate to extensive surface wear, indicative of decades of continuous circulation before eventual deposition in hoards of the late 260s or 270s AD. Despite the subsequent monetary reforms of Aurelian in AD 274 and Diocletian in AD 294, coins of this series occasionally surface with signs of secondary clipped edges or chemical leaching, illustrating their prolonged role in regional trade long after the fall of the Philippean dynasty.

References

1. Coin Hoards and Hoarding in the Roman Empire. pp. 142-168
2. The Oxford Handbook of Greek and Roman Coinage: The Later Third Century. pp. 538-560
3. Coining Images of Power: Patterns in the Representation of Roman Emperors on Coinage (A.D. 193-284). pp. 201-225
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage: General Introductions and Chronology. pp. 55-63
5. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Philip I 106b. ric.4.ph_i.106b
6. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part III: Gordian III to Uranius Antoninus. pp. 68-73, no. 106b