Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Commodus Antoninus Augustus
Reign: Commodus
Mint: Rome
Date: 187/188 AD
Nominal: Denarius
Material: Silver
Diameter: 18mm
Weight: 3.51g
Reference: RIC III Commodus 168a
OCRE Online: http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.3.com.168a
Rare: R1
Provenance: Heritage Numismatics Dallas, USA (Auction 232318 May 2023, Lot 61206)
Pedigree: –
Obverse: Head of Commodus, laureate, right
Inscription: M COMM ANT P FEL AVG BRIT
Translation: Marcus Commodus Antoninus Pius Felix Augustus Britannicus
Translation: Marcus Commodus Antoninus, the pious, the fortunate, Augustus, conqueror of the Britons
Reverse: Libertas, draped, standing front, head left, holding pileus in right hand and rod horizontally above head in left hand
Inscription: P M TR P XIII IMP VIII COS V P P
Translation: Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Tertia Decima, Imperator Octavum, Consul Quintum, Pater Patriae
Translation: High priest, holder of tribunician power for the 13th time, Imperator for the eighth time, consul for the fifth time, father of the nation
Comment: The issue of the Libertas Denarius presented here is probably connected with the suppression of the Maternus Affair. Maternus, who is characterised by Herodian as a deserter, bandit and soldier of fortune, is said to have placed himself at the head of an outrage in 185/186 AD, which was apparently also fuelled by social unrest, and had himself proclaimed emperor. The uprising, which is also said to have spread to Spain, was put down by Pescennius Niger in the so-called bellum desertorum. Maternus escaped to northern Italy, where he continued the gang warfare. During the celebration of the Great Goddess in March 187 AD, he allegedly planned an assassination attempt on the emperor. The plan was discovered and Maternus was executed before the festivities began.