Elagabalus Bronze Dupondius (RIC IV Elagabalus 324)

Monetary and Denominational Context

The dupondius occupied an established intermediate position within the tri-metallic currency structure established during the Augustan monetary reforms and maintained by the Severan dynasty. Valued at two asses, or half of a sestertius, the dupondius had traditionally been struck in yellow orichalcum (a copper-zinc brass alloy), in contrast to the pure red copper used for the as. By the early third century AD, however, metallurgical variations across imperial mints and the routine melting and recycling of older circulating bronze meant that the visual distinction between orichalcum and copper was often obscured. To prevent denomination confusion in daily transactions, the radiate crown functioned as the definitive mark of value on imperial base-metal coinage, signifying a double unit just as it did on the silver antoninianus and the gold double aureus. Under Elagabalus, the volume of base-metal coinage produced at Rome fluctuated considerably, with sestertii commanding the greatest share of bronze output, followed by smaller quantities of dupondii and asses. The dupondius of RIC IV 324 was struck to satisfy everyday urban retail needs within Italy and the western provinces, where fractional change remained necessary despite the creeping inflationary pressures affecting the Severan silver denarius.

Production and Mint Organization

RIC IV Elagabalus 324 was struck exclusively at the imperial mint in Rome. During the Severan period, the urban mint operated with multiple officinae (workshops) responsible for striking precious metal and aes denominations. While third-century base-metal issues rarely carried explicit officina marks, the stylistic uniformity of the engraving and letterforms demonstrates the work of established imperial die-cutters assigned to aes production. Flans for the dupondius were cast in open or two-part moulds before being struck between engraved iron or bronze dies. Severan dupondii typically exhibit a target mass centering around 11 to 13 grams and diameters ranging generally between 24 and 27 millimeters, though weight control for aes was less stringent than for gold and silver, being regulated al marco (by overall lot weight) rather than al pezzo (by individual piece). Die alignment for Roman bronze issues of this period typically settled near 12 o'clock or 6 o'clock, reflecting structured manual striking in the mint.

Obverse Iconography and the Horned Portrait

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 324 features a right-facing bust of the emperor, draped and cuirassed, wearing the radiate solar crown indicative of the dupondius denomination. The defining feature of this portrait series is the horn protruding upward from the emperor's forehead. Introduced late in 220 AD and continuing through 221 and 222 AD, this horn has been the subject of extensive numismatic and historical inquiry. Early twentieth-century commentators frequently interpreted the horn as a dried bull's phallus or an animal horn symbolizing supreme generative power and martial virility, tied to Near Eastern religious practices. More recent Severan iconography scholarship regards it as a ritual attribute directly associated with his status as the earthly representative and chief priest of the Emesene sun god. The combination of the radiate crown and the ritual horn on RIC IV 324 creates a complex iconographic synthesis, uniting traditional Roman denominational solar symbolism with Emesene sacred paraphernalia.

Reverse Iconography and Sacrificial Ritual

The reverse design presents Elagabalus standing facing left, dressed in exotic priestly robes characterized by long, flowing eastern vestments rather than the standard Roman toga. In his extended right hand, he holds a patera (libation bowl), pouring an offering over a low, lighted altar positioned at his feet. In his left hand, the emperor cradles a branch, traditionally identified in numismatic literature as a cypress branch or laurel sprig associated with ritual purification, though sometimes read as a club of divine authority in related series. Above the scene in the left or upper field sits a five- or eight-pointed star. This celestial device serves as an astral reference to the sun god Elagabal, emphasizing the divine presence watching over the imperial liturgy. Flanking the central figure in the lower fields are the large letters S C (Senatus Consulto), maintaining the constitutional fiction of senatorial authority over bronze token issues, even as the central imagery depicted an unprecedented eastern religious cult at the heart of Roman ritual life.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, an abbreviated form of 'Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Augustus'. This titulature asserts Elagabalus's legal continuity with the prestigious Antonine dynasty, a dynastic claim fabricated by his grandmother Julia Maesa and his mother Julia Soaemias by asserting his paternity from Caracalla. The reverse inscription is strictly epigraphic and chronological: P M TR P IIII COS III P P S C. This expands to 'Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Quarta, Consul Tertium, Pater Patriae, Senatus Consulto'. The tribunician title TR P IIII marks Elagabalus's fourth annual renewal of tribunician power, which took effect in 221 AD. The consulship COS III records his third ordinary consulship, which he held in 220 AD and continued to cite until entering his fourth consulship on January 1, 222 AD. The inclusion of Pontifex Maximus affirms his position as chief priest of the Roman state religion, directly mirroring the visual scene of sacrificial devotion below.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the typology of RIC IV, number 324 is classified alongside its corresponding sestertius (RIC IV 322) and as (RIC IV 325), which share identical reverse legends and iconography. The sestertii and asses feature a laureate head or bust, making the radiate crown of RIC IV 324 the sole distinguishing feature of the dupondius variant within this dated group. Chronologically, this type belongs to the high-water mark of Elagabalus's religious transformation of Rome during 221 AD, shortly after the lavish transfer of the sacred stone of Emesa to the newly built Elagabalium on the Palatine Hill. It was also during 221 AD that political pressure from Julia Maesa forced Elagabalus to adopt his cousin Severus Alexander as Caesar. The absence of Severus Alexander on RIC IV 324 reinforces its role as a personal religious statement of the senior Augustus, struck before the escalating tensions between the two cousins culminated in the praetorian coup of March 222 AD.

Circulation and Archaeological Pattern

Dupondii of the late Severan period generally circulated within regional market economies across the central and western Roman Empire, predominantly throughout Roman Italy, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces. In contrast, the eastern provinces relied almost entirely on autonomous civic bronze coinages (Greek Imperials) for fractional currency, meaning that Roman aes like RIC IV 324 rarely circulated beyond the Balkans and the Aegean except through military transfers. Due to the short lifespan of the issue (confined to the calendar year 221 AD) and the relatively subdued production rate of dupondii compared to sestertii, RIC IV 324 survives in fewer numbers than contemporary silver denarii. Furthermore, following Elagabalus's death and subsequent damnatio memoriae in 222 AD, many base-metal coins featuring his likeness were worn down in continuous circulation, re-melted for later Severan issues, or occasionally subjected to deliberate defacement, leaving preserved specimens scarce.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 574-575
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 324. ric.4.el.324
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 58, no. 324
4. Under Divine Auspices: Divine Ideology and the Visualisation of Imperial Power in the Severan Period. pp. 165-210