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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;curtislclay, post: 7703302, member: 89514&quot;]IU instead of UI for the Antelope left type RIC 21 is clearly just an engraver&#039;s error. I noted another such specimen in my copy of RIC: shown by Paul1888 on Forum in June 2011. C S instead of S C in exergue on Limes&#039; Elephant sestertius above is a similar error.</p><p><br /></p><p>Some twenty years ago I undertook a die study of the sestertii of the last three issues of Philip&#039;s reign, and was able to establish what in my opinion is beyond dispute their correct order. </p><p><br /></p><p>Each issue included six reverse types, four for Philip I and one each for Philip II and Otacilia Severa. Each type was struck in about equal volume in the main denomination, that is in antoniniani.</p><p><br /></p><p>The types of Issue 4a, the first stage of Issue 4, were for Philip I AETERNITAS AVGG Elephant, SAECVLVM NOVVM Temple, SAECVLARES AVGG Column, and FIDES EXERCITVS Four standards; for Philip II LIBERALITAS AVGG III Emperors seated; and for Otacilia PIETAS AVGVSTAE standing. These six types must have been introduced in January 248, since the only dated type of the preceding Issue 3 had just made it into 248 before ending and ceding to Issue 4: P M TR P V COS III P P Felicitas standing, a scarce and obviously short-lived type that was represented in the large Dorchester hoard by only five antoniniani. </p><p><br /></p><p>The AETERNITAS AVGG Elephant type, then, was introduced in January 248, at the same time as SAECVLVM NOVVM Temple and SAECVLARES AVGG Column. Since these two companion types obviously referred in advance to the Saecular Games that were to be celebrated in spring or summer 248, it seems likely that the Elephant type too was chosen with reference to those upcoming Saecular Games.</p><p><br /></p><p>In Issue 4b, only three new types were introduced, all for Philip I: FIDES EXERCITVS standing to replace his Four Standards type with the same legend, and FORTVNA REDVX seated and FELICITAS IMPP in wreath to replace AETERNITAS AVGG Elephant and SAECVLVM NOVVM Temple. The other three types of Issue 4a continued to be struck unchanged alongside the new types until the end of Issue 4: SAECVLARES Column for Philip I and the Liberalitas and Pietas types of Philip II and Otacilia respectively.</p><p><br /></p><p>Two issues remain, whose composition is self-evident: </p><p><br /></p><p>Issue 5 with reverse legend SAECVLARES AVGG, the well known animal reverse types, and a Latin numeral for each type, numerals I-II and V-VI for Philip I, III for Philip II, and IIII for Otacilia</p><p><br /></p><p>Issue 6 carried on the numerals, but changed them to Greek letters, and introduced six new reverse types and legends: for Philip I TR P V Mars standing, TRANQVILLITAS AVGG standing, VIRTVS AVGG Emperors on horseback, and NOBILITAS AVGG standing, with letters A, B, E, and S respectively; for Philip II VIRTVS AVGG Mars advancing with letter Γ; and for Otacilia PIETAS AVGG sacrificing with letter Δ.</p><p><br /></p><p>But what was the sequence of these final two issues? It seems likely that the Animal types, always with legend SAECVLARES AVGG, must have followed directly on Issue 4, which had already used that same legend with the COS III on column reverse type; and this supposition is proved beyond reasonable doubt by die links on the corresponding sestertii and by the shortening of the braid extending up the back of Otacilia&#039;s head, which proves that PIETAS AVGG Δ of Issue 6 must have been her latest reverse type: compare the shortened braid of RIC pl. 7.17 with the longer braid of her two earlier issues, RIC pl. 7.16 (Issue 5) and pl. 7.18 (Issue 4).</p><p><br /></p><p>Thus a conclusion is reached that no one could have expected: Philip&#039;s Rome-mint coinage must have ended before he became TR P VI on 10 December 248 or 1 January 249, since the TR P V Mars type of his final issue (Issue 6) never advanced to TR P VI. I think the only likely explanation is that Philip I with his son and wife must have made an expedition to the East late in 248, perhaps to deal with usurpers; note the VIRTVS AVGG Emperors on horseback type of his Issue 6. While he was absent, before the end of 248, his successor Trajan Decius must have seized Rome and of course ended Philip&#039;s coinage from that mint. In 249 Philip was able to maintain himself in the East, while Decius ruled in Rome and the West, until Philip decided to march against the usurper and was defeated and slain by him in a battle at Beroea in Macedonia in c. September 249, shortly after his Alexandrian coinage registered the beginning of his seventh regnal year on 28 August 249.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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