Quintillus Antoninianus RIC V Quintillus 31

Monetary Context and Debasement

The emission of RIC V Quintillus 31 occurred against the backdrop of systemic economic stress and monetary disruption during the Roman imperial crisis of the third century. By 270 AD, the antoninianus, originally introduced under Caracalla as a double denarius tariffed at two denarii despite containing the silver weight of only one and a half, had deteriorated into a base metal coin. Hyper-debasement under Gallienus and Claudius II reduced the silver content to roughly two to three percent, with the rest composed of copper, lead, and tin. The coin blanks received a thin surface wash of silver via chemical blanching or dipping to simulate the appearance of precious metal. Quintillus inherited this depleted standard without the opportunity to undertake any monetary reform. His coinage, struck exclusively during his brief tenure in late summer or autumn of 270 AD, represents the terminal stage of the pre-reform radiate system immediately prior to the radical currency reorganization implemented by Aurelian in 274 AD. Weight standards for the antoninianus during this phase were erratic, frequently clustering around 2.5 to 3.5 grams, with significant tolerance ranges resulting from rapid mass striking.

Mint Organization and Production at Rome

RIC V Quintillus 31 was struck solely at the central mint of Rome. The Rome mint was an expansive industrial establishment operating twelve distinct officinae, or workshops, each designated by a Greek numeral or Roman letter system. Production for Quintillus demonstrates a swift adaptation of the Rome facility to the sudden succession following the demise of Claudius II. Die studies and hoard records indicate that specific workshops were tasked with producing particular reverse types; the SECVRIT AVG type featuring Securitas leaning on a column was allocated primarily to the eleventh officina, designated on the reverse field or exergue by the numeral XI. The coin blanks were manufactured rapidly using open molds and flattened flans, leading to irregular contours, ragged edges, and frequent off-center strikes. Despite the chaotic political circumstances and Quintillus's short rule, the engravers at Rome maintained a notable degree of technical competence, rendering detailed portraiture that distinguished Quintillus from his predecessor while utilizing existing reverse master dies and standardized mythological models.

Obverse Iconography and Portrait Typology

The obverse of RIC V Quintillus 31 features the radiate bust of the emperor turned to the right. The radiate crown serves as the formal numismatic mark of the antoninianus denomination, tracing back to the solar imagery of Sol Invictus. Two major drapery variations are catalogued within this type: the bust may be shown draped and cuirassed, or simply cuirassed. Engravers depicted Quintillus with a close-cropped military beard, textured short hair, and facial contours that strongly mirror the physiognomy of Claudius II, intentionally reinforcing dynastic legitimacy and familial continuity. The emperor's brow is typically furrowed and his nose pronounced, conveying maturity and military authority. Because the reign lasted only weeks, the obverse dies do not demonstrate significant stylistic evolution, remaining consistent with the late stylistic output of Claudius II's Rome mint workshops. The relief varies from shallow to moderate, often compromised on surviving specimens by weak strikes or worn dies resulting from high production pressures.

Reverse Iconography: Securitas

The reverse of RIC V Quintillus 31 presents Securitas, the personification of imperial safety, public peace, and institutional stability. She is depicted draped, standing facing left, with her legs crossed in a posture that classical iconography reserved for relaxed security and unassailable permanence. She leans her left elbow against a short architectural column, a symbol of structural foundation and unwavering support for the state. In her right hand, Securitas holds a long sceptre held vertically, denoting imperial power and celestial sanction. In the field or exergue, the officina mark XI appears, verifying production in the eleventh workshop of the Rome mint. This iconographical formula was well-established in the Roman repertory, having been used extensively under Gallienus and Claudius II. Its continued utilization under Quintillus was a standard ideological device intended to reassure the Roman populace and army that the state remained intact despite rapid changes of ruler and persistent Gothic and Germanic threats along the northern frontiers.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The obverse inscription of RIC V Quintillus 31 reads IMP C M AVR CL QVINTILLVS AVG, rendered fully as Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Claudius Quintillus Augustus. The legend establishes the full official nomenclature of the emperor in the nominative case, asserting his supreme military imperium, his adoption of the imperial titles Caesar and Augustus, and his explicit gentilicium and cognomen linking him to Marcus Aurelius Claudius. The reverse bears the concise legend SECVRIT AVG, an abbreviation for Securitas Augusti, translating as the Security of the Emperor. Grammatically, this genitive construction designates the abstract virtue as an intrinsic attribute belonging to the Augustus himself. The lettering conforms to the epigraphic conventions of the Rome mint in the late third century AD, featuring neat, relatively uniform capital letters with serifs, though dies often suffered from crowding along the margins, leading to clipped letters or partial omissions along the outer border of dots.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the classification framework established by Percy H. Webb in Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part 1, number 31 represents one of the signature issues of Quintillus's brief series at Rome. Struck entirely within the year 270 AD, the type belongs to the emperor's primary substantive emission alongside companion types dedicated to Apollo, Fides Militum, Fortuna, and Victoria. Because ancient historians such as Eutropius, Zosimus, and the Historia Augusta disagree on the exact length of Quintillus's reign, reporting periods ranging from seventeen days to seventy-seven days, absolute chronological division between successive emissions is impossible. However, modern numismatic analysis places this issue between the late posthumous consecratio coinage for Claudius II and the accession issues struck for Aurelian once the Rome mint switched allegiance. RIC V Quintillus 31 is distinguished from other SECVRIT AVG antoniniani of the same emperor by the presence of the column and the crossed legs, as variant types depict Securitas leaning without crossed legs or seated.

Circulation Patterns and Hoard Presence

Although minted for only a few weeks, RIC V Quintillus 31 circulated widely across the western provinces of the Roman Empire alongside vast quantities of radiates issued by Gallienus, Claudius II, and the contemporary Gallic emperors Postumus and Victorinus. Due to the high production output of the Rome mint, substantial numbers of these radiates entered general commercial channels before Aurelian took control of the capital. The type is consistently present in major late third-century coin hoards throughout Britain, Gaul, and the Mediterranean basin, including notable deposits such as the Normanby Hoard and the Cunetio Hoard in Britain, as well as several continental French hoards. In circulation, the thin silvering rapidly rubbed off, exposing the copper alloy core. When Aurelian reformed the currency in 274 AD, introducing the twenty-to-one aurelianianus marked XXI, radiates of Quintillus continued to circulate as fractional currency at a reduced tariff until the general monetary demonetizations of the Tetrarchic period in 294 AD.

References

1. The Normanby Hoard and Other Roman Coin Hoards. pp. 114-153
2. Monnaies de l'Empire romain XII.1: D'Aurélien à Florien (270-276 après J.-C.). pp. 35-42
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Quintillus 31. ric.5.qu.31
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part I. p. 242, no. 31