Even with the obvious flaw in the flan of this recent acquisition it still appealed to me. The portraits of Philip the Arab and his wife Otacilia Severa retain good detail, and the coin didn't cost much, so it made a nice addition to the Roman Provincials. It had been referenced as Prieur 461, and a search revealed it on the RPC site as, RPC VIII, — (unassigned; ID 48923). There were twelve coins listed on the page, but only one with the "MB" of the ΜΕCΑΜΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ legend on the reverse isolated between the ears of corn and Demeter's head. (The first coin under "Specimens of this coin type", located in the Berlin, Staatliche Museen (Germany), seen on the link below.)
https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/type/48923Though I found little about Philip's early years, what I found about his later life proved very interesting. I can only wonder at the huge celebrations that there would have been during the 1,000th anniversary of the founding of Rome in 248 AD for instance. Much of the life of Philip has already been posted in the forum, so I'll not duplicate it.
Information about Philip's family though appears to be sparse and contradictory. Philip married Marcia Otacilia Severa, daughter of a Roman Governor in c. 234. Many accounts mention that they had a son, Marcus Julius Philippus Severus, a.k.a. Philip II, one account mentions three sons, while others mention two sons and a daughter. In Wikipedia they are named as, Marcus Julius Philippus Severus (Philip II), born in 238, a daughter called Julia Severa or Severina who is known from numismatic evidence but is never mentioned by the ancient Roman sources, and a son named Quintus Philippus Severus, born in 247.
Some accounts say that Philip the Arab and Philip II were both killed in battle by Decius in 249, while others report that the Praetorian Guard in Rome killed Philip II after hearing the news of the death of his father, to ensure a smooth transition of power. Marcia Otacilia Severa, was apparently hugging her child during the murder, was spared, left Rome and lived the rest of her life in obscurity. However Livius Org gives the date of the death of Otacilia as 248, a year earlier. Even though he had a short life there is a large number of coins attributed to Philip II to be found on the Wildwinds site.
Philip I & Otacilia Severa. Tetrassarion of Mesembria in Thrace. Spring of 244 until August 246.
Obverse: Confronted busts of Philip I, laureate, draped and cuirassed, right, seen from rear, and Otacilia Severa, diademed and draped, left, wearing stephane. Obverse Inscription: ΑΥΤ Μ ΙΟΥΛ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟC ΑΥΓ Μ WΤΑΚΙΛ CEΒΗΡΑ CEΒ. Reverse: Demeter standing left, holding grain ears and long torch. Reverse inscription: ΜΕCΑΜΒΡΙΑΝΩΝ. Bronze. Diameter: 27mm. Weight: 9.80gm.
Ref: Prieur 461
Posted 10/01/2022 11:45 am
The portrait of Philip is so lifelike, and I've said it many times, but the skill of these ancient engravers is amazing. It is such a pity that we will never know who they were.
