Roman Empire - Philip I AD 244 - Eastern Mint

Well, I got my SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS reverse = "Hope for a Happy World" Silver Antoninianus of Roman Emperor Philip I ( 244 - 249 AD ) and it is even nicer than I expected, the seller photos weren't very good at all compared to this coin in hand. I know it has a small dark area on the obverse and a little bit of green on the reverse, very little.... but for such an interesting type which I have wanted for quite some time, I am VERY happy with this one..... Usually the seller photos make the coin look better than it actually is, it was the other way around this time, a nice surprise, and a wonderful coin for less than $35 USD, I can't, and shant complain.
Here are the details of this particular coin:
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Roman Empire
Emperor Philip I (244 - 249 AD)
Silver Antoninianus ( double denarius )
Struck at Unknown Eastern Mint - 244 AD.

obv: IMP C M IVL PHILIPPVS P F AVG PM - radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
rev: SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS - (tranlation: 'Hope for a Happy World') - Spes (Hope) advancing left, holding flower in one hand and lifting skirt with the other.

weight: 5.0 Grams
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I hope to aquire the PAX FUNDATA CUM PERSIS reverse sometime in the future, not anytime soon though, my money is tied up in car repairs and an upcoming trip to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. There is a beautiful example of that type being listed with a min bid of $100. but I don't think now is the time for me.....
Check it out, let me know what you think.... also anyone else (dougsmit ) who has examples of the types should post them in this thread, and we can get an Unknown Eastern mint party goin' on up in here.... kidding, but seriously, post your pics of these types if you have any...... We (I) would love to see....

Now my normal lighting setup is all taken apart, so I am using what I have on hand, but it should be okay.... some of the ones of the coins next to the US 25 cent piece for size comparison are off color though.....
Since I can only do 5 at a time, here are some of the obverse, including one of both the VIRTUS EXERCITUS one I have (the one with the flan crack) and the SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS next to a US 25 cent piece. Next post will have reverse shots.

 

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Reverse - SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS - Eastern Mint

Reverse shots.


rev: SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS - (tranlation: 'Hope for a Happy World') - Spes (Hope) advancing left, holding flower in one hand and lifting skirt with the other.

weight: 5.0 Grams

 

SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS and VIRTUS EXERCITUS

Unknown Eastern Mint coins.

on the right:
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Ancient Roman Empire
Unknown Eastern Mint. Struck 244 AD - Silver Antoninianus.
Emperor Philip I (244 - 249 AD)

obv: IMP C M IVL PHILIPPVS P F AVG PM - radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
rev: VIRTVS EXERCITVS - Virtus standing right, holding spear & resting hand on shield.

weight: 3.3grams
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on the left:
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Roman Empire
Emperor Philip I (244 - 249 AD)
Silver Antoninianus ( double denarius )
Struck at Unknown Eastern Mint - 244 AD.

obv: IMP C M IVL PHILIPPVS P F AVG PM - radiate, draped & cuirassed bust right.
rev: SPES FELICITATIS ORBIS - (tranlation: 'Hope for a Happy World') - Spes (Hope) advancing left, holding flower in one hand and lifting skirt with the other.

weight: 5.0 Grams
--------------------

 

As requested, I'll copy here images from my page that rexesq mentioned in another thread:
http://dougsmith.ancients.info/philip.html


These are among my favorite Philip types but are not terribly scarce unless you are looking for really nice ones and that gets harder. Of the three, Pax Fundata Cum Persis is by far the most popular due to its connection to history. Philip claimed he had forged peace with the Persians but historians are more likely to call it 'gave up' or 'bought off'.

Those seeking these coins should be aware of a more rare variation where the PM (Persicus Maximus, instera of Pontifex Maximus according to most sources) usually found at the end of the reverse legend has been moved to under the bust and flipped around. Some dealers charge extra for these but they are not recognized by others and can be had at the same price. Unfortunately they are harder to find in good shape. I do not have the Pax in this variety but offer the Spes which is a decent coin except for the flat strike on the reverse head of Spes.


There are many interesting questions about the coins of Philip and I predict that there will be a good deal of interest in them generated by the release of a new version of RIC which I expect will be within a decade. Some of these questions are mentioned on my page but I don't have the answers and will be first in line for the opinions of the experts studying these coins.

 

Yes, I have seen those versions with the PM below the bust, and they usually sell much higher, and out of my price range. I do like the fact that alot of people don't recognize these types as being anything other than your average Philip I Ant, so some can be had at good prices like you said.... I paid $11.50 for my VIRTUS EXERCITUS, shown with the SPES in some of my pics, I know it's low quality and has a flan crack, but who could pass up such a deal..... not me, obviously...
Your 'PM' below bust is quite nice, great portrait and detail, very well struck legends and titles.... I like it alot. Your other Spes is also beautiful, with a great portrait. Your page on the Mints has been very helpful to me personally. Thank you for posting your great photos and link on here Doug.

If I had a spare $100, I'd try to buy the PAX FUNDATA one I am watching that is $100, and has been relisted once due to no bids....

also, do you reccomend I do anything about the slight darkness on the obv of the coin? or the tiny bit of green on the reverse? Conservation wise? I dont know if it is a coin worth having conserved or what.....

 

Very interesting stuff Doug..... guess one better get 'em while the gettin's good.... if said gettin' is good that is.

I have also always LOVED the frontal bust left, cuirassed..... but never been able to afford it on an Antoninianus of Philip I or II, however I have several Tetradrachmai of both Philip I and II of Syria with frontal left facing busts, some of my favorite coins are the ones with the medusa head clearly visibly on the breastplate of the Emperor on the obverse bust.

 

I'd leave the coin alone unless the spots trouble you so much you can't stand it.

 

They certainly do not trouble me near that much, good advice.... the darkness and such is less noticeable in hand.... I like the size of this particular coin.... are your examples about the same size? like compared to the US quarter?

 

My coins of this style range from 3.3 to 5.4g with the heaviest being my other Pax (above). In general, my heavier coins are better struck and the 'quarter size' flans make for a bit too thin material at the lower range. I bought the second Pax because it was so good looking but the reverse legend is not as clear at the left as on my older worn coin so both get kept. That is a problem with ancients: it is not always obvious which of two coins is 'better' since each will have different points to recommend it. You can end up having a dozen coins of one type and still not have one that makes the others expendable.

 

Tried to take some better shots....

Interesting, yes this SPES FELICITATIS... one's flan is not thin at all, thicker than the Virtus one, and more similar to the FELICITAS TEMP one I have that was struck in Rome.... so it seems it the new one was struck on a higher quality flan than the one my VIRTUS EXERCTUS was struck on, plus this Spes coin is 5.0 grams and the Virtus is 3.3 grams, and much more worn as evident in the photos.... this Spes one is also my heaviest coin of all of my Philip I and II Antoninianii, including one from Antioch of the temple that weighs 4.2 grams. I think I got lucky with this Spes one, great price for a nicer coin than it looked like from the pics.
It seems a really good flan, of fairly good silver, these pictures show it pretty nicely, and show how minor the spots are, but I guess they would bother the people who want nothing but perfect coins in their collection.

Beautiful PAX FUNDATA CUM PERSIS, very nice coin doug. A nice portrait.

 

I was looking forward to seeing "your" photos. Very nice coin. Even the spotting isnt that bad as I originally thought.

As usual the education Doug provides also makes the coin/s much more enjoyable. Never noticed a letters under the bust type but considering how cheap I got my Philip I/Roma reverse I cant complain or care to replace it just for letters under a bust.

Still love the Spes reverses. Will acquire one, hopefully the Sev. A. version in the coming months.

Now its just waiting for all these birthdays to end so I have free $ again, lol.

Hey doug, I know what the spes goddess is for but I could never find why she lift's her skirt, do you know why?

 

Heh yeah, thank you mat, the last photos I took, this last post of mine, show this coin the best.... the way it most looks when I am holding it in my hand, and you can see the large size from the quarter comparison.... I reeaally like this one, makes me want to get back more into the Ants of Philip rather than just specializing in the Tetras of Syria, but the rare frontal busts I love so dearly are very expensive on the Antoninianii of Philip, and I think I will be taking a break from coin buying as well.

And I understand you not wanting to pay more for one with letters under the bust, but some say the letters PM.... stands for 'PERSICUS MAXIMUS' rather than 'Pontifex Maximus', and that they used the PM since the Persians were likely to see the coins and assume it means what it usually does, 'Pontifex Maximus', so as not to jeopardize the fragile peace. Doug can explain better, or better yet the webpage of his does alot of good explaining on these issues, so for that reason, plus the fact that you don't see letters under the bust often on other coins, makes those ones a bit trickier to find and buy reasonably priced.
But you have a great Rome mint Philip, and unless you plan on collecting more mints and such, or if you are the type of fella who just wanted an example of his (how I am for some emperors and coins) then you are set, since that is a nice one you got, ROMAE AETERNAE, always a cool reverse.

And the Spes used on the denarii of Severus Alexander and others of Spes from the Rome mint, are alot more refined and better engraved, in my opinion, than most of the Spes coins of Philip I from this Unknown Eastern Mint, as you can see from the ones above.

also yes, I never could figure why Spes (hope) is lifting her skirt either......anyone?

 

Well, I thought I would add a bronze (circa 247 AD) of Phillips son Phillip II, who was killed alongside of his Dad at the battle of Verona.

 

I have no idea why she is lifting her skirt but did find reference to her carrying her flower in hope of fruit to come later. The best of these are, IMHO, of Claudius where it is usual to see through the sheer fabric of her dress.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?search=similar%3A5779&view_mode=1#0
By Philip, the artwork was regularly bad.

 

Thats pretty cool!

 

Thats VERY nice, course the price attached to it. Guess its fairly scarce?

 

Cool one Ripley, I hope to get a tetradrachm of Philip II as Caesar with a bare head one of these days, I have several of him as co-Emperor.

Also yes he died during the battle of Verona (we think) when future Emperor Decius' troops met those of current (not for much longer) Emperor Philip I. And also, Philip II was only 11 when he was killed according to most sources.... awful young today.


Beautiful Claudius of Spes doug. Amazing detail on the obverse, and on the clothes and drapery of Spes, it does look like sheer fabric heh. If I had a spare 7000 USD, I might consider it I like the thing about the flower being there to symbolize fruits to come in the future, very insightful.

On the note of Philip I artwork, I agree that on some of the bronzes, as well as the Antioch mint and Eastern Silver antoninianii of him and his son, the artwork wasn't as good as it had been just years before, and fairly low quality on some..... but there are still plenty of Rome mint Antoninianii I have seen with very nice worksmanship, the FELICITAS TEMP version I have is a pretty good example, but I have seen far better. Plus, the frontal bust style Antoninianii of Antioch can be pretty well done, as well as some of the Syro-Phoenician Tetradrachmai of him I have, and others I have seen have very nice work on the busts.
But I think I know what you mean about it being 'regularly' bad.

 

Philip has many nice portrait dies from Rome and the East but the reverses end to be less finely done. The Claudius sestertius is not rare - I even have one - but the one I linked is in the kind of condition that brings high prices. Any sestertius before Vespasian is not likely to be cheap and any in EF condition will be scary priced. If you want to be frightened at a pricetag, check EF fine style sestertii of Galba. Imagine this one minus the porosity and with a nice patina:
http://www.acsearch.info/record.html?id=7641

 

Gosh DS, that Galba is so good, that mine looks like a rock. when compared to it.

 

Yeah thats a beautiful Galba, amazing details on it.