Æ29 - Philip I ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΚΟΛΩΝΙΑϹ, S C

Philippopolis in Arabia was founded by Philip I around 244 AD on the site of his hometown Shahba, a project of conspicuous personal ambition that transformed a provincial village in the Hauran into a Roman colonia. The city received colonial status — hence the ΚΟΛΩΝΙΑϹ legend — almost certainly as part of the foundation program, granting it the legal and fiscal privileges of an Italian city. The S C on a provincial bronze from this mint is an unusual affectation, borrowing the senatorial authority formula more at home on official Roman aes than on eastern civic issues.