Silver Denarius of Commodus RIC 222

AR Denarius (17mm 2.97g) Struck AD 190-191 Rome

Obv: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT P P Laureate bust right

Rev: MIN AVG P M TR P XVI COS VI Minerva running right, holding branch, sheild and spear

RIC 222a Sear 5661
ex. Harry Stewart Collection

The Front (Obverse) — The Emperor's Selfie

The front features a portrait of Commodus wearing a laurel wreath (a classic symbol of victory). Surrounding his face is an absolute mouthful of abbreviation titles.

Inscription:

Here is what all those letters actually mean in plain English:

• M COMM ANT: Marcus Commodus Antoninus (His actual name).
• P FEL: Pius Felix ("Pious and Blessed/Fortunate"). Emperors loved to brag about how good their relationship was with the gods.
• AVG: Augustus (The supreme title meaning "Emperor").
• BRIT: Britannicus. This was a victory title he took after Roman generals crushed a massive rebellion in Britain back in AD 184.
• P P: Pater Patriae ("Father of his Country"). A prestigious honorary title showing he is the ultimate protector of Rome.

The Back (Reverse) — Divine Security

The back of the coin serves as ancient political propaganda, reminding everyone that the Roman gods are on the Empire's side. It shows Minerva, the goddess of wisdom and strategic warfare, in action. She is running to the right, holding a spear and a shield, but also carrying an olive branch—showing she brings both victory and peace.

Inscription:

The text here acts like a date stamp to tell us exactly when the coin was made, mixed with more titles:

• MIN AVG: Minerva Augustae (Dedication to the "Minerva of the Emperor").
• P M: Pontifex Maximus ("Chief Priest"). He was the head of the Roman state religion.
• TR P XVI: Tribunicia Potestate XVI ("Holder of Tribunician Power for the 16th time"). This was an annual power renewed every year. Because it's his 16th time, historians know this coin was minted specifically between December AD 190 and December AD 191.
• COS VI: Consul VI. This means he had been elected as a Consul (the highest elected official in Rome) six times.

Summary

In short, this little piece of silver was pocket change used to pay soldiers or buy goods in ancient Rome. Its message to the public was simple: "Commodus is your pious, victorious leader, protected by the goddess of war, and everything is under control." (Though ironically, he was assassinated just a year later in AD 192!).