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Antoninianus - Jotapianus VICTORIA AVG, Victory
| Issuer | Syria, Usurpations of |
|---|---|
| Year | 248-249 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Antoninianus = 2 Denarii |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Obverse description | Radiate, cuirassed bust of the usurper Jotapianus facing right, rendered in the standard military portrait convention of the mid-third century. The radiate crown, a hallmark of the antoninianus denomination, is clearly visible above the head. The cuirass is indicated by pteryges at the shoulder. The encircling Latin legend reads IMP C M F RV IOTAPIANVS, distributed around the periphery of the die. The overall style is provincial and somewhat crude, consistent with an emergency military mint operating in the eastern provinces. |
|---|---|
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| Reverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
Jotapianus rose in the eastern provinces around 248 AD, likely capitalizing on discontent over the heavy tax burdens imposed to fund Philip the Arab's Millennial Games in Rome. His usurpation was short-lived — his own troops killed him before any serious military confrontation materialized. The surviving coinage is extraordinarily rare, with RIC IV.3 #2C among the scarcest types attributed to him.
The antoninianus denomination itself was already debased well below its nominal two-denarius value by this point, a fiscal reality that did nothing to help provincial confidence in the central government — precisely the opening that figures like Jotapianus exploited.