Commodus, denarius, silver, reign 179–192 CE, minted 183–184 CE

Commodus, denarius, silver, reign 179–192 CE, minted 183–184 CE, weight 3.20 g, diameter 18 mm. Obverse: laureate bust right; legend M COMMODVS ANTON AVG PIVS. Reverse: Aequitas draped standing left, holding scales in right hand and cornucopia in left; globe at feet; legend P M TR P VIIII IMP VI COS IIII P P. Strike: well-centered, full flan, complete border of dots. Toning: light grey with golden peripheral highlights. References: RIC III 73; BMCRE Commodus 82; Cohen 2; RSC 73. This denarius was struck at Rome during Commodus’ ninth tribunician year, recorded in the reverse legend, which fixes production to 183–184 CE. The titles announce his sixth imperatorial acclamation and fourth consulship, providing an exact chronological snapshot of his political standing. The depiction of Aequitas reflects an official message of fair governance and economic stability following campaigns on the Danube frontier. Silver issues of this period remained the principal medium for salaries to the army and for broader commercial transactions, ensuring wide circulation across the empire. The piece represents the mid-reign propaganda phase, preceding the debasements and iconographic innovations that characterized Commodus’ later coinage, and serves as a precise dating tool in archaeological contexts due to the specific titulature recorded.