Roman Antoninianus Coins

Inv. No.: c132
Date: A.D. 247-249.
Weight: 3.81g
 
Obv.: Philip I, radiate, draped, cuirassed.
IMP.PHILIPPVS AVG.

Rev.: Four standards.
FIDES EXERCITVS

Philip I was an Arab by birth, a man of amazing cunning and superior military gifts. Having risen through the ranks of the Roman army, he was proclaimed Emperor by the soldiers in A.D. 244. He tried to hold their loyalty with ample largesses and the establishment of colonies for discharged veterans.

In the sixth year of his reign a rival, Trajan Decius, was declared Emperor by the army in Pannonia. Philip marched forth to deal with the situation and was killed, together with his twelve-year old son, Philip II.

In retrospect, therefore, the reverse of the coin is sadly ironic and an example of wishful thinking. It is essentially a plea to the army not to break its oath of loyalty. But at this time the army was not so much a loyal servant as the de facto ruler of the Empire.

On the chequered history of the antoninianus as a unit of currency, see OCD, s.v. “coinage, Roman", p. 360, right hand column, top half.

Comparanda:
RIC, Philip I 62.