Philip I Billon Tetradrachm AD 247-248

Philip I Billon Tetradrachm (22mm, 11.93g)
Alexandria, Egypt AD 247-248

Obv A K M IOV ΦIΛΠΠOC EV Laureate bust right

Rev: Nike advancing right holding wreath in front, palm branch behind left shoulder, in front regnal year LE in right field (year 5)

Emmett 3493
ex. Spencer Gorman

1. The Basics: Material and Value

• Billon: This tells us what the coin is made of. "Billon" is a mix of a little bit of silver and a lot of base metal (like copper). By this point in Roman history, the economy was struggling, so the mints "debased" the coins by using less and less real silver.
• Tetradrachm: This was the denomination (the face value). While the rest of the Roman Empire used coins like the denarius or antoninianus, Roman Egypt had its own closed currency system. Tetradrachms were the workhorse coins of daily life in Egypt.

2. The Front (Obverse): The Emperor's Portrait

The "heads" side shows the profile of Emperor Philip I wearing a laurel wreath. The Greek text around him reads:

Α Κ Μ ΙΟV ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC ΕV (A K M IOV PHILIPPOS EV)

Because this coin was made in Egypt, the inscription is in Greek, not Latin! It uses standard abbreviations for his grand imperial titles:

• Α = Autokrator (the Greek word for Emperor)
• Κ = Kaisar (Caesar)
• Μ ΙΟV ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC = Marcus Julius Philippus (his actual name)
• ΕV = Eusebes (Pious / Dutiful)

3. The Back (Reverse): Victory & A Birthday Celebration

The "tails" side features Nike, the ancient Greek goddess of victory (the Romans called her Victoria). She is marching to the right, holding out a wreath in front of her and carrying a long palm branch over her shoulder.

This imagery is classic Roman propaganda. It was meant to reassure the public that the Emperor was victorious and keeping everyone safe.

The Date Stamp: Right in front of Nike, you will see the letters L E.

• In ancient Egyptian papyri and coins, the symbol L is a shorthand sign that means "Regnal Year" (Year of the King's reign).
• E is the Greek numeral for 5.

So, this coin was minted in the 5th year of Philip's reign. This gives us a highly accurate timeframe: AD 247–248.

Why this date is super cool: AD 248 was the year Rome celebrated its 1,000th birthday (the Millennium of Rome's legendary founding in 753 BC)! Philip I threw massive, legendary parties and games in Rome to celebrate. Coins minted during his 5th regnal year across the empire often featured themes of victory, peace, and celebration to tie into this massive historical milestone.