Philip II Billon Tetradrachm Antioch AD 247 Eagle with Wreath SC

Philip II, tetradrachm, debased silver, reign 244–249, Antioch mint, dated AD 247. 13.9 g; 26 mm. Obverse: ΑΥΤΟΚ Κ Μ ΙΟΥΛΙ ΦΙΛΙΠΠΟϹ ϹΕΒ; laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Philip II right, seen from behind. Reverse: ΔΗΜΑΡΧ ΕΞΟΥϹΙΑϹ ΥΠΑ ΤΟ Γ / ΑΝΤΙΟΧΙΑ / S C; eagle standing right with wings spread, wreath in beak. Struck at Antioch on the Syro‑Phoenician tetradrachm standard in billon fabric; broad module with beaded borders; issue dated by the consulship formula ΥΠΑ ΤΟ Γ to AD 247. References: RPC VIII Online, unassigned (ID 29241). Issued the year Philip II was elevated to Augustus (AD 247), this Antiochene tetradrachm represents the principal silver‑token currency of Roman Syria, where provincial tetradrachms replaced imperial denarii in daily commerce. The Greek legends proclaim tribunician power and third consulship, while the eagle with wreath is the long‑standing civic type of Antioch; the inclusion of S C reflects Roman administrative convention on Antioch’s silver issues during the third century.