Elagabalus Bronze Sestertius, RIC IV Elagabalus 308d

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the Severan dynasty, the sestertius maintained its position as the largest base-metal token denomination in circulation across Italy and the western provinces. Valued at one-fourth of an imperial silver denarius and one-sixteenth of an antoninianus, the copper-alloy coin remained indispensable for intermediate daily retail transactions, military accounting fractions, and institutional payouts. By 220 AD, the imperial monetary system experienced persistent inflationary pressures stemming from debasement of the silver currency under Septimius Severus and Caracalla. Despite reductions in the overall precious metal fineness of the denarius, the sestertius retained broad public confidence due to its substantial module and deeply rooted status in Roman price-setting conventions. Issued under the formal authority of the Senate as signified by the traditional mark S C, the denomination provided an expansive compositional surface for high-relief dies, allowing the mint of Rome to broadcast complex imperial programs with greater iconographic detail than smaller silver or bronze units could accommodate.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The sestertii of type RIC IV Elagabalus 308d were produced exclusively by the imperial mint at Rome, which operated centralized workshops responsible for urban base-metal issues. Flans were cast from orichalcum or mixed copper alloys, carefully trimmed, and struck hot using heavy engraved iron dies. Although third-century sestertii exhibited wider weight dispersion than early imperial predecessors, target mass standards generally hovered around twenty to twenty-four grams, with diameters commonly spanning between twenty-eight and thirty-two millimeters. Die engraving for the issue was executed by master die-cutters of the central Roman officinae, who maintained strict standards of portrait modeling and precise lettering. The alignment of dies in this period commonly adhered to an upright or near-upright axis, conforming to the characteristic six o'clock or twelve o'clock orientation of Severan bronze production.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Image

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 308d presents a youthful yet formal bust of Elagabalus facing right. In accordance with the catalogue sub-type 308d, the emperor is depicted with a laurel wreath while wearing both civil drapery and military cuirass. This specific portrait combination synthesizes the dual roles of the princeps as victorious imperator and constitutional protector. The treatment of the hair features short, neatly arranged curls characteristic of Severan youth portraiture, framed by the tied ribbons of the laurel wreath resting across the neck. The modeling represents Elagabalus at approximately sixteen years of age, adhering closely to the dynastic likeness established under Caracalla to reinforce claims of legitimate Antonine descent. The relief is typically bold, filling the inner flan within a continuous beaded border.

Reverse Iconography and Celestial Symbolism

The reverse design illustrates Elagabalus standing in a four-horse chariot moving at a slow pace toward the left. The emperor is laureate, holding a laurel or olive branch in his right hand and an eagle-tipped or imperial sceptre in his left. This slow quadriga motif evokes the pompa circensis and solemn consular or triumphal processions traditional to Roman civic magistracies. Significantly, a distinct star appears in the reverse field, introducing an explicit celestial and religious motif into a classic public scene. Numismatists interpret the star as an allusion to the Syrian sun deity Elagabal, of whom the emperor served as hereditary high priest. The synthesis of the western magistracy with eastern solar imagery on a senatorial bronze reflects the progressive integration of the Emesene solar cult into official state iconography during 220 AD. In the lower field or flanking the chariot, the large letters S C confirm senatorial sanction.

Epigraphy and Titulature Analysis

The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, reflecting the complete official titulature adopted by the emperor upon his accession. By employing the names Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Augustus, the legend deliberately suppressed the sovereign's birth name Varius Avitus Bassianus in favor of the Antonine heritage tied directly to Marcus Aurelius and Caracalla. The reverse legend, P M TR P III COS III P P S C, records the core constitutional powers held by Elagabalus during the issue. Pontifex Maximus affirms his supreme religious authority, while Tribunicia Potestate III and Consul III establish the date of production to the year 220 AD, the emperor's third consulship alongside Publius Valerius Comazon. The closing elements Pater Patriae and Senatus Consulto underscore his titular patriarchal guardianship over the Roman commonwealth and the legal endorsement of the Senate in approving the bronze issue.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Within the typology of the Roman Imperial Coinage, catalogue number 308 encompasses several bust varieties of the consular quadriga sestertius, with suffix d specifically designating the laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust facing right. The epigraphic sequence of Elagabalus's reign allows unambiguous chronological assignment: the combination of TR P III and COS III anchors the strike securely to 220 AD. Parallel compositions were struck in gold and silver, including aurei and denarii, indicating that the quadriga design served as a coordinated imperial release across multiple denominations to commemorate the inauguration of the emperor's third consulship. While related sestertius issues of 220 AD depict the emperor sacrificing at an altar or accompanied by standard standing personifications, RIC 308d stands out for its monumental vehicle composition and explicit inclusion of the solar star.

Circulation, Wear Patterns, and Archaeological Context

Sestertii of Elagabalus entered broad circulation throughout Italy and the western provinces, where base-metal currency circulated continuously over extended periods. Because bronze denominations were not systematically recalled or re-melted upon an emperor's death, specimens of RIC 308d continued to circulate alongside issues of the Antonines and subsequent Severan rulers well into the mid-third century AD. Wear observed on recovered specimens typically reflects decades of active commercial exchange, with high points on the emperor's cheek and the horses' heads experiencing the earliest abrasion. While hoard evidence demonstrates that earlier heavier sestertii of the second century remained dominant in volume, third-century Severan bronze issues provided necessary liquidity before the severe monetary disruptions and hyper-inflationary debasements of the mid-third century caused large copper-alloy denominations to diminish in production.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. Elagabalus, Rome Mint, Bronze
2. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 57, no. 308d
3. RIC IV Elagabalus 308d on Online Coins of the Roman Empire. Type ric.4.el.308d