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Orbis Collectibles

RIC IV Balbinus 12

DocumentedSupported by at least one credible specialist source.

Record status

Individual type · research required

Period

AD 238

Issuing entity

Roman Empire

Maker / issuer

Rome (ancient mint)

Antoninianus in silver struck at Rome under Balbinus, AD 238, catalogued as RIC IV Balbinus 12. Obverse: Bust of Balbinus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right. Reverse: Clasped right hands. Obverse legend: IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG. Reverse legend: PIETAS MVTVA AVGG.

Evidence at a glance

Linked sources
2
Photograph views
3
Catalogue references
1

Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.

Historical context

Decimus Caelius Calvinus Balbinus served as Roman emperor alongside Pupienus for three months in 238, during the Year of the Six Emperors. Introduced by Caracalla in early 215 AD, the antoninianus was a double-denomination coin, slightly larger than the denarius, featuring the emperor wearing a radiate crown. Although initially silver, the denomination suffered from declining silver bullion supplies as soldier emperors and usurpers required coin to pay troops and secure their loyalty, eventually undergoing debasement.

Physical characteristics

Material
Silver
Manufacture
Struck
Denomination
Antoninianus

Technical characteristics

Mint
Rome
Issuing authority
Balbinus

Design

Obverse type
Bust of Balbinus, radiate, draped, cuirassed, right
Reverse type
Clasped right hands
Obverse legend
IMP CAES D CAEL BALBINVS AVG
Reverse legend
PIETAS MVTVA AVGG

Identification

How to identify
RIC separates types by mint and officina marks, obverse legend and bust form, and reverse legend and type; check the exergue and field marks against the RIC number before accepting a match.
Type corpus record
https://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.balb.12
Catalogue reference
RIC IV Balbinus 12
Type corpus identifier
ric.4.balb.12
Source note
The type record is Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE), the American Numismatic Society's digital edition of Roman Imperial Coinage.

Documentation checklist

Denomination
Recorded
Issue or mint date
Recorded
Material
Recorded
Weight
Research required
Mint or printer
Recorded
Mint or printer mark
Research required
Catalogue reference
Recorded
Attached photograph (check rights)
Recorded

Recorded means a field is present, not independently verified. Read its wording, supporting source and the entry’s confidence level.

Catalogue references

Research required

  • Nominal weight not transcribed from a primary reference
  • Diameter and die axis not transcribed
  • Mint mark and officina detail not transcribed
  • No rights-cleared photograph identified yet
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