Æ30 - Philip I ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟΠΟΛΙΤΩΝ ΚΟΛΩΝΙΑϹ, S C

Philippopolis in Arabia was founded by Philip I around 244 AD on the site of his birthplace, Shahba, in the Hauran region of modern Syria. The city received colonial status and was promoted aggressively during his reign as a personal vanity project — an emperor quite literally building his hometown into a Roman city from scratch. The S C notation on a provincial bronze from this mint is an unusual affectation, borrowed from the Roman senatorial coinage formula and applied here to assert the colony's elevated standing.

Philip was killed at Verona in 249, and the city's privileged development halted abruptly with him.