Severus Alexander Silver Denarius, RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A

Monetary Context and Silver Standards

The accession of Severus Alexander in 222 AD marked an era of administrative conservatism and fiscal retrenchment following the turbulent reigns of Caracalla and Elagabalus. A primary monetary development of the new administration was the cessation of the radiate double denarius (antoninianus), an inflationary denomination introduced by Caracalla in 215 AD that had faced resistance in everyday markets. The imperial treasury reverted to a mono-metallic silver standard anchored firmly by the traditional denarius. Under Severus Alexander, the denarius saw an intentional stabilization of alloy and mass after decades of sporadic debasement. Production standards at Rome aimed for a nominal weight of roughly 3.1 to 3.2 grams (approximately 1/96 of a Roman pound), with silver purity stabilized between 43 and 46 percent fine silver. While this did not restore the higher purity of early Severan issues, it checked the downward slide that had accelerated under Elagabalus. The denarius RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A belongs to this extensive re-stabilization program, functioning as standard military pay, state disbursement specie, and everyday high-value currency within urban and frontier commercial networks.

Mint Organization and Production at Rome

RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. During the early Severan era, the Rome facility operated through a structured system of several officinae (workshops), typically numbering six for silver production, though explicit officina markings do not appear on denarii of this date. Output during the opening years of Severus Alexander's reign was exceptionally voluminous, driven by the customary accession donatives promised to the legions and the Praetorian Guard, as well as recurring annual disbursements. Flans were cast in spherical molds before being flattened and struck hot between engraved iron or bronze dies. The die carving for type 139A demonstrates a meticulous classicizing style characteristic of the early imperial court sculptors working under the patronage of Julia Mamaea. Die axes typically adhere to an aligned or slightly off-vertical orientation (around 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock), reflective of controlled striking practices in the metropolitan workshops.

Obverse Iconography and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A features a right-facing bust of Severus Alexander, shown laureate and draped. When he assumed the purple in March 222 AD, Alexander was only thirteen years old. Early issues of the mint capture his youth with smooth facial planes, a short, neat hairstyle curling around the ear, and the absence of facial hair. The laurel wreath encircles the crown of the head, secured at the occiput with hanging ribbon ties (lemnisci). The drapery over the shoulders, consisting of the paludamentum or cuirass with mantle, projects an image of formal civic modesty and legitimate constitutional authority rather than aggressive martial swagger. This careful balance was deliberate: imperial propaganda under Julia Maesa emphasized Alexander's adoption by Elagabalus and descent from Septimius Severus while presenting him as a sober, disciplined alternative to his predecessor's eccentricities.

Reverse Iconography of Fides Militum

The reverse of the coin presents Fides Militum, the divine personification of military loyalty, standing draped and facing toward the right. In her hands, she holds two key insignias of the Roman army: an upright military standard (signum) in her right hand and a legionary or cavalry banner (vexillum) in her left hand. While many Severan issues portray Fides standing facing left holding two identical standards, type 139A specifically differentiates the two military emblems and directs her stance to the right. Fides is depicted in a long stola falling in natural folds, embodying both sacred trustworthiness and Roman civic virtue. The visual juxtaposition of the signum (representing the infantry cohorts) and the vexillum (often associated with cavalry and specialist detachment units) symbolizes total armed forces loyalty across every division of the military establishment, assuring the empire that the troops remained devoted to the adolescent Augustus.

Epigraphy and Inscriptional Analysis

The legends on RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A follow conventional formulas of early third-century imperial epigraphy. The obverse inscription reads IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG, an abbreviation for 'Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Severus Alexander Augustus'. This formulation reflects Alexander's formal adoption into the Antonine and Severan lineage upon his elevation as Caesar in 221 AD, retaining the prestigious names of Marcus Aurelius and Septimius Severus. The lettering is cleanly cut, evenly spaced along the inner beaded rim, and devoid of punctuation interpuncts. On the reverse, the concise legend reads FIDES MILITVM, 'The Loyalty of the Soldiers' (or 'Fidelity of the Military'). Expressed in the genitive plural, 'Militum' defines the specific constituency whose faith and allegiance are invoked. The absence of consular dates or tribunician numbers places this issue among the general substantive types rather than annual commemorative coinage.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In Harold Mattingly and Edward Sydenham's classification in The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), this denarius is catalogued as RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A. It is distinguished from neighboring catalog entries by the specific stance and attributes of Fides. For instance, RIC IV Severus Alexander 138 features Fides seated, whereas RIC 139 and related variants present Fides standing left holding two standards. The specific posture in 139A, standing right holding a standard and a vexillum, represents an uncommon variant within this ideological series. The chronological bracket for type 139A spans the years 222 to 228 AD, securely determined by the obverse legend IMP C M AVR SEV ALEXAND AVG. After 228 AD, the Rome mint transitioned to alternative legend forms, notably IMP SEV ALEXAND AVG and later the late-reign formula IMP ALEXANDER PIVS AVG. Type 139A is therefore definitively confined to the first half of the reign, issued before the major military campaigns in the East against the Sasanian Empire.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Silver denarii of Severus Alexander circulated extensively throughout the Roman world, with heavy concentrations along the Rhine and Danube river frontiers where military units were garrisoned. As a primary vehicle for soldier pay, coins of the Fides Militum type circulated directly into the frontier economy. Substantial quantities of early Severus Alexander denarii are documented in major third-century coin hoards across Britannia, Gaul, and the Balkans, such as the Shapwick hoard in Britain and the great Reka Devnia hoard in modern Bulgaria. Because Severus Alexander's denarii retained an acceptable silver standard compared to the rapidly debased issues of the later barracks emperors (beginning especially with Gordian III and Decius), these coins remained in active circulation for several decades, often circulating until the catastrophic hyper-inflation and massive antoninianus emissions under Gallienus in the late 250s and 260s AD.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. VI: Severus Alexander to Balbinus and Pupienus. pp. 116-120
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Severus Alexander 139A. ric.4.sa.139A
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 81, no. 139A