AD 244-249 Roman Provincial Philip I Billon Tetradrachm Antioch NGC Choice Extremely Fine

Philip I, known as "the Arab" for his family's origins in the Roman province of Arabia, ruled from AD 244 to 249 after succeeding the young emperor Gordian III. This billon tetradrachm was struck at the imperial provincial mint of Antioch in the region of Seleucis and Pieria, one of the great commercial and cultural centers of the ancient world. The Antioch mint produced substantial quantities of these large-module tetradrachms in a silver-copper alloy to serve the monetary needs of Rome's eastern provinces, and coins of Philip I from this facility are recognized for their bold, regal portraiture.

The obverse presents a radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Philip I facing right, rendered with strong facial detail including his characteristic full beard and aquiline features, surrounded by the Greek legend AUTOK K M IOULI FILIPPOC CEB. The reverse displays an eagle standing left on a palm branch with wings spread wide, clutching a wreath in its beak, a device symbolizing Roman imperial authority adapted to the Hellenistic tradition, with DHMARC EXOUCIAC in the surrounding legend and SC in the exergue denoting senatorial authority.

Certified by NGC Ancients as Choice Extremely Fine, this tetradrachm exhibits well-defined devices on both sides with appealing surfaces and sharp detail across the portrait and eagle. The Antioch tetradrachms of Philip I remain a popular series among collectors of Roman provincial coinage, offering an accessible entry into third-century imperial portraiture on a large, visually engaging flan. We have several examples available similar to the coin pictured here.