they used coins with his face on them. Finally, perhaps the most confusing portion
of the coin: his name. Nobody knows what "MAR" means, and Silbannacus is not
a usual name for the time. So just how is it possible that someone could have coins
minted for him and not have any references in
history?
Using dating techniques and analyzing the style
of the coin, it is currently believed that the coin
comes from between around 238 and 260. This fact
explains away most of reasoning behind the
uncertainty about his identity, as this was a time of
political turmoil from which there are very few
reliable historical accounts. The popular theory
was that Silbannacus was a usurper during the rule
of Philip the Arab, AD 244 to 249. It is believed
that he quickly seized the mint and attempted to
put coins into circulation. This would explain the
name, as it could have been a misspelling of the
OJCLers getting in the Roman spirit
name “Silvannacus” or “Silvaniacus”. The
discovery of a second coin was published in 1996 which revised the original
theory. The style of the second coin suggested that he reigned for a short time in
AD 253. The year was full of turmoil. Aemilian, after being proclaimed emperor
by his troops, overthrew Gallus. He was then overthrown three months later by
Valerian who was proclaimed emperor by his own troops.
So, where does Silbannacus fit in? There is one period of time during which
nobody occupied Rome. When Aemilian left the city to confront the approaching
Valerian, it is entirely possible that Silbannacus was a garrison leader who
successfully seized power until he was killed by Valerian. This would explain the
scarcity of coins as he would’ve had very little time to mint them. Regardless of
the true story behind his existence, one thing is clear: the mint only produced his
coins for a short time. It may have lasted a measly couple of days, along with his
rule. He was insignificant and had no impact during a turbulent time in history.
The conditions of the time left a ruler of the most important city of the age
forgotten from the history books with only two coins to testify to his existence.
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