Pupienus Silver Antoninianus RIC IV Pupienus 11A

Monetary Context and the Revival of the Antoninianus

The monetary landscape of AD 238 was shaped by rapid political breakdown, civil war, and severe fiscal pressure. Following the sudden death of Gordian I and Gordian II in North Africa, the Roman Senate took the unprecedented step of elevating two of its senior members, Marcus Clodius Pupienus Maximus and Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus, to joint imperial rule. Confronted with the immediate military threat of Maximinus Thrax marching on Italy, the senatorial administration required large quantities of coin to pay legions, secure alliances, and ensure domestic stability. To meet these massive expenditures swiftly, the senate revived the antoninianus, also known as the radiate or double denarius, which had been abandoned during the reign of Severus Alexander. This denomination was theoretically tariffed at two denarii while containing only approximately 1.5 times the silver content of an individual denarius. Reintroducing the radiate denomination allowed the mint of Rome to stretch available silver bullion and rapidly produce sufficient purchasing power. RIC IV Pupienus 11A represents an integral component of this emergency monetary surge, embodying the fiscal realities of early third-century military crisis and the restoration of senatorial monetary direction.

Mint Operations and Production Standards

All specimens of RIC IV Pupienus 11A were produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. During the brief joint reign of Pupienus and Balbinus, the mint operated with remarkable efficiency despite the ongoing military mobilization. Production of silver coinage was systematically divided across organized workshops (officinae), which were tasked with executing parallel series for both emperors and the newly elevated Caesar, Gordian III. The silver antoniniani of this period typically adhered to a nominal weight standard between 2.5 and 3.5 grams, though individual flans varied widely due to the expedited and al marco minting techniques employed under emergency wartime conditions. Metallurgical studies of early third-century radiates demonstrate that the silver fineness of these issues was significantly debased, averaging between 40 and 50 percent fine silver alloyed with copper. Dies were hand-engraved by seasoned craftsmen of the Rome mint, maintaining relatively high artistic and technical standards in engraving despite the rapid pace of striking and the volatile political climate.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Representation

The obverse of RIC IV Pupienus 11A presents a mature, distinguished imperial portrait of Pupienus. The bust is shown facing right, wearing a radiate crown that serves as the universal numismatic indicator of a double-denomination coin in third-century Roman silver and bronze issues. In accordance with the catalogue designation, the emperor is depicted both draped and cuirassed, combining the military armor of an active imperator with the civic drapery of Roman administration. Pupienus is rendered with characteristic realism, showcasing advanced age, closely cropped hair, and a thick, squared beard in keeping with the traditional aesthetic of the senatorial elite. The engraving conveys solemn authority and experienced leadership, visual attributes intended to contrast sharply with the portraiture of the deposed soldier-emperor Maximinus Thrax and project steadfast legitimacy during an acute constitutional crisis.

Reverse Iconography: The Clasped Hands Motif

The reverse of RIC IV Pupienus 11A features two clasped right hands (dextrarum iunctio) centered within the field, oriented horizontally. This ancient iconographic motif was traditionally employed on Roman coinage to symbolize concord, mutual fidelity, alliance, and pledged faith. In the specific context of this issue, the clasped hands reinforce the accompanying inscription PATRES SENATVS, directly symbolizing the solidarity and cooperative purpose of the senatorial order that had entrusted Pupienus and Balbinus with sovereign command. While clasped hands were also used contemporaneously with legends celebrating military harmony, their pairing here with the collective assembly of fathers underscored the primacy of senatorial guidance and institutional unity against tyranny. The iconography served as an explicit piece of political messaging distributed to soldiers and citizens alike, affirming that the supreme authority of the state rested upon senatorial legitimacy.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The epigraphy of RIC IV Pupienus 11A is concise and ideologically charged. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M CLOD PVPIENVS AVG, an abbreviation of Imperator Caesar Marcus Clodius Pupienus Augustus. The titling emphasizes his formal constitutional investiture as imperator and supreme Augustus, utilizing standard imperial epigraphic formulae. The reverse legend reads PATRES SENATVS, which translates to 'Fathers of the Senate.' This phrase is exceptionally rare in the Roman monetary tradition, where legends such as SENATVS POPVLVSQVE ROMANVS or standard personifications were far more customary. By directly invoking the senators as 'Fathers', the coin pays homage to the senatorial body as the ultimate source of constitutional legitimacy during the conflict of AD 238. Die cutters executed these inscriptions in classical capital letters, fitting the text carefully within the circular borders of dots that frame both faces.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Within the typology established in Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Pupienus 11A belongs to the specific series struck for Pupienus featuring the PATRES SENATVS reverse. It is closely related to RIC IV Balbinus 11, which bears the identical reverse type and legend struck for his co-emperor, confirming that the type was conceived as a coordinated joint emission. A minor variant, RIC IV Pupienus 11B, is distinguished by portrait drapery, presenting the bust solely draped or cuirassed rather than fully draped and cuirassed. The chronological placement of RIC IV Pupienus 11A is tightly constrained to the joint reign, which lasted only approximately ninety-nine days from late April or early May to July of AD 238. Because Pupienus left Rome shortly after accession to command forces against Maximinus at Ravenna, numismatists suggest that the initial striking of this type commenced early in the reign, continuing until the sudden assassination of both emperors by the Praetorian Guard brought the series to a permanent close.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Despite an extremely brief window of production, RIC IV Pupienus 11A was minted in sufficient quantities to establish a clear presence in the currency pool of the mid-third century. As the newly revived antoniniani poured into circulation to pay legionary salaries and civic donatives, they traveled across Italy, the Danubian provinces, and the wider western empire. The coins circulated alongside earlier Severan denarii and the rapidly expanding radiate issues of the young Gordian III. Because these radiates carried an intrinsically debased silver content, they were subject to the rapid inflationary turnover of the Crisis of the Third Century. Numerous third-century coin hoards throughout Britain, Gaul, and the Balkan frontier have yielded specimens of Pupienus's antoniniani, demonstrating that while individual survivors are far less numerous than those of long-reigning emperors, they remained in commercial circulation for decades until systemic debasements under Valerian and Gallienus caused earlier radiates to be buried or melted down.

References

1. The Development of the Roman Silver Coinage: AD 235-253. pp. 63-78
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-132
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Pupienus 11A. ric.4.pup.11A
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 173-176, no. 11A