Volusian Silver Antoninianus, RIC IV Volusian 141

Monetary Context and Imperial Policy

The antoninianus, originally introduced by Caracalla in 215 AD as a double-denarius tariffed at two denarii but struck at only one and a half times a denarius's weight, remained the dominant denomination of the Roman silver currency system by the reign of Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian (251-253 AD). During this period, the Roman state faced acute structural strain, including catastrophic military reversals along the Danube, territorial disruptions in the East, domestic outbreaks of the plague of Cyprian, and escalating inflation. Consequently, the imperial mints operated under intense fiscal pressure, producing millions of radiates with steadily dropping silver purities. RIC IV Volusian 141 belongs to the final monetary phase of Volusian's reign, dating to 253 AD. Under Gallus and Volusian, the Rome mint issued antoniniani in a billon alloy whose average silver content hovered around twenty to thirty percent, often masked through deliberate surface-enrichment (pickling) techniques to lend newly struck pieces an appearance of fine silver. Because base silver radiates had completely eclipsed the traditional denarius for everyday military and administrative payments, types such as RIC IV Volusian 141 bore the primary burden of state expenditure. The coin stands as a testament to the accelerated debasement and monetary strain of the third-century crisis, reflecting the regime's urgent need to meet army payrolls and secure political allegiance while imperial authority was contested by Danubian commanders.

Mint Operation and Production Technology

RIC IV Volusian 141 was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. During the joint reign of Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian, the Rome mint was organized into multiple distinct officinae (workshops), typically identified through stylistic analysis and emission sequencing, even though explicit officina letters on the reverse dies were not systematically utilized until slightly later in the mid-third century. Modern numismatic scholarship associates these dated sacrificial reverses with specialized officinae handling parallel coinages for both Gallus and Volusian. Production technology followed standard Roman striking techniques. Blanks were cast in open or tiered molds, resulting in round to slightly oval planchets with occasional casting sprues or edge cracks caused by striking under heavy hammers. The average weight of antoniniani during this phase centered around 3.0 to 3.8 grams, with broad tolerances and standard diameters ranging between 20 and 23 millimeters. Die cutting at Rome maintained a high degree of technical competence despite the volume of output: engravers executed clean portrait contours and finely proportioned figures. The frequent die breaks and rapid die wear visible across surviving examples demonstrate that the mint operated at high capacity during the frantic final months of 253 AD.

Obverse Iconography and Regnal Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Volusian 141 presents a right-facing bust of Volusian, characterized by the standard imperial radiate crown that designated the double-denomination status of the antoninianus. He is depicted as draped and cuirassed, viewed from the side or slightly from behind, combining civic robes with military armor to represent the ruler's dual role as civil administrator and commander of the legions. Portraiture during this late phase of Volusian's reign reflects typical mid-third-century verism blended with idealized youthful features. Volusian, the biological son of Trebonianus Gallus, was elevated to Caesar in 251 AD and subsequently to Augustus. On RIC IV Volusian 141, he is rendered with short-cropped military hair, a light or emerging beard indicating young adulthood, and an alert, determined expression. The execution of the radiate spikes is prominent and cleanly separated, radiating from a distinct central band around the head. Engravers at Rome captured the distinctive jawline and brow that differentiated Volusian from the heavier, rounder physiognomy of his father Gallus.

Reverse Iconography: Sacrifice and Imperial Pietas

The reverse of RIC IV Volusian 141 depicts the emperor in the traditional guise of a Roman priest or magistrate. Volusian is shown standing facing left, togate and veiled (capite velato), holding a short sceptre in his left hand while extending his right hand over a lighted tripod altar to pour a libation or scatter incense (sacrificing patera velata). This composition is one of the classic religious visual formulas of the Roman imperial coinage. The act of sacrifice over an altar directly evoked the virtue of Pietas, the dutiful observance of obligations owed to the gods, the state, and the family. In the crisis atmosphere of 253 AD, with recurring plague and military usurpations, imperial piety was projected as an indispensable mechanism to restore the pax deorum (the peace of the gods). The combination of the veiled head, the sacrificial tripod, and the imperial sceptre asserted that divine favor was actively being sought by the legitimate Augustus on behalf of the Roman commonwealth. This imagery served as a visual reaffirmation of institutional continuity and moral legitimacy.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The obverse inscription reads IMP CAE C VIB VOLVSIANO AVG, which expands in full Latin as Imperatori Caesari Caio Vibio Volusiano Augusto ('To the Emperor Caesar Caius Vibius Volusianus Augustus'). The use of the dative case or nominative convention within mid-third-century titular formulas acknowledged his full civil and military titles, preserving his lineage through the gentilicium Vibius. The lettering is characteristic of the Rome mint: upright, relatively uniform capitals with modest serifs, arranged continuously along the beaded border from lower left to lower right. The reverse legend reads P M TR P IIII COS II, representing the expansion Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate IIII, Consul II ('High Priest, Holder of the Tribunician Power for the fourth time, Consul for the second time'). This epigraphic formula is of paramount chronological significance. The office of Pontifex Maximus reiterated the emperor's supreme priestly role depicted in the central image. The consulship numeral designates his second consulship, which commenced in January 252 AD and continued into 253 AD. The tribunician calculation marks the fourth renewment, providing the tight absolute dating framework for the coin.

Typology and Chronological Placement

RIC IV Volusian 141 occupies a pivotal place in the chronological reconstruction of the joint reign. Under the standard numismatic chronology established in Roman Imperial Coinage and refined by modern studies, Trebonianus Gallus and Volusian renewed their tribunician powers on atypical dates or multiple times during their brief tenure. Volusian assumed the title of Augustus in late 251 AD; his fourth tribunician renewal (TR P IIII) is securely assigned to the year 253 AD, shortly before the fall of the dynasty in late summer of that year. Within the broader typological framework of the Rome mint, RIC IV Volusian 141 is part of a paired dated series struck alongside parallel issues for Trebonianus Gallus (bearing TR P IIII). While undated series with deities such as Apollo Salutaris, Pax Augg, or Libertas Augg circulated throughout the reign, the dated series with imperial sacrifice provided an administrative anchor for the mint's accounting. The production of RIC IV Volusian 141 ended abruptly in 253 AD when Aemilian revolted in Moesia, marched on Italy, and the loyalist forces killed Gallus and Volusian near Interamna (Terni), prompting the Rome mint to transfer its facilities to the usurper.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Antoniniani of 253 AD circulated widely across the western and Danubian provinces, as well as throughout the Italian peninsula. Because the political events of 253 AD unfolded rapidly, coins of Volusian with TR P IIII had only a brief window of primary distribution before regime changes brought new issues into circulation. However, because older silver coins were not immediately recalled, RIC IV Volusian 141 circulated alongside earlier Severan denarii and subsequent issues of Valerian and Gallienus. Hoard evidence demonstrates that issues of Gallus and Volusian were frequently concealed during the massive waves of insecurity in the late 250s and 260s AD. RIC IV Volusian 141 regularly appears in major third-century savings hoards across Roman Britain, Gaul, Germany, and the Balkans, such as the Cunetio and Dorchester hoards. In these deposits, specimens typically show moderate circulation wear consistent with a decade or more of active monetary exchange prior to deposition. Due to the high production volume of the Rome mint in 253 AD, the type survives in sufficient numbers in institutional and private cabinets to provide clear insights into late Trebonianus-Volusian die pairing and metallurgical standards.

References

1. The Cunetio Treasure: Roman Coinage of the Third Century AD. pp. 45-53
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 126-132
3. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 128-135
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Volusian 141. ric.4.vo.141
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part III: Gordian III to Uranius Antoninus. pp. 177-184
6. Roman Coins. pp. 235-241