Severus Alexander Denarius RIC IV Severus Alexander 37

Monetary Context and Denominational Setting

During the reign of Severus Alexander (AD 222-235), the silver denarius experienced an institutional revival as the premier denomination of regular imperial transactions. While Caracalla had introduced the double denarius (antoninianus) in AD 215, Severus Alexander halted the production of the radiate coin almost entirely, focusing state silver strikes on the traditional laurel-headed denarius. By the time RIC IV 37 was produced in AD 224, the Roman monetary system relied heavily on this issue to finance regular bureaucratic stipends and civil distribution. The metallurgical composition of the denarius in AD 224 reflected the stabilization measures initiated following the deposition of Elagabalus, maintaining an average weight of roughly 3.0 to 3.2 grams with a silver fineness hovering between 40 and 45 percent, balanced by a copper core alloy.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The entire emission of RIC IV Severus Alexander 37 was manufactured at the primary mint of Rome. Operating through several distinct workshops or officinae, the Rome mint executed this series using standardized pair-die technology. Die carvers worked under rigid administrative guidelines, rendering uniform youthful portraits of the young Augustus alongside crisply rendered figures of traditional deities. The production of dated reverse types, designated by the emperor's annual tribunician count, indicates an orderly striking schedule aligned with imperial administrative accounting periods. Planchets were cast in open or two-piece molds and struck warm between hand-held bronze or iron dies, yielding the characteristic alignment and edge flaking common to early third-century silver.

Obverse Design and Iconography

The obverse presents a right-facing portrait of Severus Alexander, depicted with a laurel wreath and classical drapery over his shoulders. The portraiture is typical of the early Rome mint style, capturing the youthful features of the emperor who assumed power while still an adolescent. The laurel wreath symbolizes imperial triumph and civil authority, tied with ribbons that trail behind the neck. Drapery folds are neatly incised across the bust truncation, reflecting the restrained artistic conservatism favored by the imperial court under Julia Mamaea and the senatorial advisors guiding the young princeps.

Reverse Iconography and Mars Pacifer

The reverse design features the god Mars standing to the left, wearing a crested military helmet and cuirass with military attire. In his lowered right hand, Mars holds an olive branch, while his left hand supports a vertical spear held point downward (spear reversed). This configuration embodies the classical concept of Mars Pacifer (Mars the Peacemaker). By pairing the god of war with the olive branch and a non-aggressive inverted spear, the iconography advertises security maintained through military vigilance, emphasizing an era of peace achieved through preparedness rather than ongoing aggressive campaigning.

Epigraphy and Titulature Analysis

The obverse inscription reads IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, expanding to Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus. This legend asserts his direct dynastic continuity with the Severan house and his adopted lineage through Caracalla. On the reverse, the legend P M TR P III COS P P translates to Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertium, Consul, Pater Patriae. The reverse epigraphy provides precise administrative dating: the third tribunician power (TR P III) securely anchors the issue to the calendar year AD 224. The inclusion of Pontifex Maximus and Pater Patriae affirms the supreme religious and civic standing granted to the ruler.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Catalogued as type 37 in the fourth volume of Roman Imperial Coinage, this denarius belongs to the third tribunician issue of Severus Alexander at Rome. The mint produced several complementary reverse types in AD 224 to form a coordinated imperial emission, including standing representations of Salus, Pax, and traditional sacrificial implements. RIC IV 37 is distinguished within this group by the specific stance and attributes of Mars standing left with olive branch and reversed spear. The annual renewal of the tribunicia potestas on December 10 ensures that the issue was initiated in late AD 223 or run primarily through the calendar year AD 224.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Recovery

Denarii of RIC IV 37 circulated extensively throughout the Roman world, functioning as vital components of military pay along the Rhine and Danube frontiers and sustaining civil markets in Italy and the western provinces. Because Severus Alexander's denarii preserved a relatively reliable silver content compared to the debased radiates struck later in the third century, they remained in active commercial circulation for decades. Hoard evidence from Roman Britain, Gaul, and the Germanies frequently shows these denarii alongside earlier Antonine and Severan issues, surviving in large buried deposits until the comprehensive debasements under Gallienus and Aurelian led to their gradual withdrawal and melting.

References

1. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-132
2. Coining Images of Power: Representations of Severan Power on Roman Imperial Coinage. pp. 215-228
3. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 147-154
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Severus Alexander 37. ric.4.sa.37
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 74, no. 37