Philip the Arab & Family

The reign of Marcus Julius Philippus, Philip I, (244-249 AD - sometimes called "the Arab" after the origin of his family) is clouded in history by the way it began. As Praetorian Prefect to Gordian III (discussed here last week), Philip may have been instrumental in the murder of the young Emperor. Certainly he did nothing to save him. Already in practical control of the Empire, Philip was the obvious choice to assume the purple. What little history of the period that survives indicates he was a good ruler who faced many challenges successfully. Like Septimius Severus nearly 50 years earlier, Philip was a family man with certain desires to establish a dynasty. Soon after his own elevation he named his wife (Otacilia Severa) Augusta and his son (Philip II) Caesar. After a very few years, again following the model of Septimius, Phillip II was made Augustus and placed even with his father to insure his eventual succession.

Coins of this reign include numerous types for all three members of the family. At Rome a system of six workshops was divided with four for Philip and one each for his wife and son. As a result coins of the elder Philip are somewhat more common than those of the other two.


Philip I - c.244 AD - Silver antoninianus Antioch mint - 22mm, 5.4g. IMP C M IVL PHILIPPVS PF AVG PM PAX FVNDATA CVM PERSIS Peace with branch and scepter	Philip I - 247-249 AD - Bronze sestertius Rome mint - 28mm, 11.7g. IMP M IVL PHILIPPVS AVG TRANQVILLITAS AVGG SC Tranquillity with Capricorn and scepter

Gordian III's mint at Antioch, Syria, continued striking at the beginning of the reign of Philip until his departure for Rome made an Eastern mint unnecessary. Philip placed great importance on establishing himself as Emperor in Rome and left for the City after concluding a hasty peace with the Persians. This was commemorated with the most common coin type issued at Antioch showing Peace and bearing the explanatory legend PAX FVNDATA CVM PERSIS (above left).

As noted for Gordian III, bronze sestertii are readily available from this reign. The example shown here is certainly not exceptional (and I truly hate trying to photograph coins with black patinas!) but is typical for the late part of the reign. Size decreased considerably during the reign with legends crowded by the edges of the flan. Hurried production resulted in obverse legend blurring from multiple striking and certain evidence of 'clashed dies'. Note the incuse of the back of Philip's head appearing to the right of Tranquillitas.


Otacilia Severa - c.244 AD - Bronze sestertius Rome mint - 31mm, 21.6g. MARCIA OTACIL SEVERA AVG PVDICITIA AVG SC	Philip II - 247-249 AD - Silver antoninianus Rome mint - 20mm, 4.0g. IMP PHILIPPVS AVG SAECVLARES AVGG III Goat walking

Both flan size and workmanship was better during the early part of the reign which produced this sestertius of Otacilia Severa. The coin weighs nearly twice the weight of the later Philip shown above. On this example, the reverse shows modesty, a popular type used for Augustae.

Coins struck early in the reign (almost as a general rule but certainly true for Philip) tend to use longer obverse legends more fully spelling out just exactly who is shown on the coin. The antoninianus of Philip II shown (right above) here uses the short form legend IMP PHILIPPVS AVG and can be assigned to the younger Philip by the youthful, beardless portrait. It is from the series honoring the great games (248 AD) celebrating the 1000th anniversary of the founding of Rome. Philip displayed wild beasts of many sorts both in the arena and on his coins. This coin also shows the open marking of the workshop (III in the reverse exergue) that produced the coin. Later Roman coins would make this marking of officina a regular occurrence but at this time it was innovative. Here double striking ruins the obverse portrait but the reverse shows a better than average strike. Coins of this period that are fully and clearly struck on both sides are worth a premium price compared to sloppy products from worn or damaged dies.

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