Elagabalus Bronze Sestertius, RIC IV Elagabalus 369

Monetary Context and Severan Base-Metal Coinage

During the Severan period, the Roman monetary system continued to operate under the traditional Augustan denominations, anchored by the gold aureus and the silver denarius, supported for daily commercial transactions by brass and copper base-metal coins. The sestertius remained the premier bronze denomination, serving as an essential unit of account and a primary vehicle for civic trade throughout Italy and the western provinces. Valued at one quarter of a silver denarius, or four asses, the sestertius had historically been produced in orichalcum, a copper-zinc alloy that imparted a golden sheen when fresh from the dies. Under the Severan dynasty, however, escalating state expenditures and recurring fiscal pressures led to noticeable debasement in the precious metal currency, which in turn affected the production discipline and metal purity of the base-metal denominations. Although the sestertius maintained an official nominal standard, the physical weight of individual planchets fluctuated considerably across the reigns of Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and their immediate successors. By the reign of Elagabalus (AD 218-222), bronze production at Rome was subject to variable metallurgical composition, with recycled copper-alloy scrap frequently diluting the zinc content of the alloy. In spite of these economic strains, the broad surface of the sestertius made it uniquely valuable for imperial communication. Base-metal issues traveled through civilian hands at every social level, providing the central government with an immediate canvas to proclaim dynastic continuity, divine favor, and institutional authority across the empire.

Production Standards and Mint Operation

The entire production of RIC IV Elagabalus 369 was centralized at the primary imperial mint in Rome. While provincial cities across the Levant and Asia Minor struck extensive civic coinages dedicated to the emperor and local cults, western base-metal sestertii carrying the senatorial formula S C were the exclusive prerogative of the metropolitan officinae. Analysis of surviving specimens reveals typical third-century imperial workshop practices, characterized by manually cast flans that were hammered between engraved iron dies. Weight standards for the sestertius under Elagabalus were theoretically situated around 22 to 25 grams, but individual pieces demonstrate wide tolerances, with well-preserved specimens ranging from below 19 grams to over 26 grams, and flan diameters typically spanning 29 to 32 millimeters. Die alignment varied noticeably, reflecting the rapid, manual rotation of upper reverse dies during striking. Metallurgical assays of contemporary Severan bronzes show that although nominally struck in brass, many sestertii contained reduced zinc percentages alongside elevated levels of lead and tin, resulting in an alloy often described simply as bronze or copper alloy. The production volume for this specific reverse type was relatively compact compared to standard imperial victory or military issues, indicating a focused period of striking toward the conclusion of the reign.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Representation

The obverse design of RIC IV Elagabalus 369 presents the bust of the young ruler turned to the right, fully adorned with the traditional attributes of imperial authority: a laurel wreath, civic drapery, and a military cuirass. The laurel wreath symbolizes victorious legitimacy, tied directly to the legacy of the Antonine house that the young ruler claimed by adopting the formal name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. The combination of paludamentum and breastplate emphasizes the emperor's theoretical role as commander-in-chief of the Roman legions, despite his young age and lack of field experience. Severan engravers at Rome rendered the portrait with characteristic sensitivity to his youthful features, featuring smooth facial planes, a short rounded chin, and curly hair framed neatly beneath the laurel leaves. Notably absent on this specific obverse dies is the so-called horn or desiccated phallus often seen projecting above the forehead on later eastern and metropolitan issues of Elagabalus, confirming that the obverse maintained conventional imperial portraiture while reserving the novel eastern cultic elements exclusively for the reverse scene.

Reverse Iconography: The Priestly Ritual of Elagabal

The reverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 369 represents one of the most culturally distinctive scenes in the entire imperial Roman series. The composition depicts Elagabalus standing turned to the left, wearing the luxurious sacerdotal robes associated with the hereditary priesthood of the Emesene sun god, Elagabal. In his right hand, the emperor holds a patera, a shallow libation bowl, from which he pours a liquid offering over an ignited, conical or tripod altar placed upon the ground before him. In his left hand, the emperor grasps an upright attribute that early modern cataloguers identified as a club, but which many modern numismatic scholars interpret as a sacred branch or cypress wand utilized in Syrian solar rituals. In the upper left or central upper field, a conspicuous eight-pointed or radiant star is engraved, representing the cosmic presence and celestial majesty of the sun god. Flanking the lower fields of the design are the bold letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto. This explicit portrayal of the Roman princeps performing esoteric rites in non-Roman priestly garments served as visual confirmation of Elagabalus's bold ecclesiastical restructuring, wherein he placed the exotic cult of the Emesene deity above Jupiter Optimus Maximus within Rome's sacred pomerium.

Epigraphy and Titulature Analysis

The legends on RIC IV Elagabalus 369 reflect a deliberate balance between traditional Roman constitutional vocabulary on the obverse and unprecedented theocratic titles on the reverse. The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Augustus. This sequence established the youth's official claim as the legitimate son of Caracalla and true heir of Marcus Aurelius, employing the honorific Pius to signify filial devotion and civic piety. In stark contrast, the reverse legend is SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, expanding to Sacerdos Dei Solis Elagabali, meaning Priest of the Sun God Elagabal. This legend is completed by S C in the lower field, affirming nominal senatorial decree. The formulation is extraordinary because Roman emperors had traditionally commemorated their supreme religious status through the title Pontifex Maximus. By supplanting Pontifex Maximus with Sacerdos Dei Solis on regular imperial coinage, the epigraphy broke with centuries of constitutional convention, explicitly anchoring the ruler's supreme identity in his priesthood of a foreign deity rather than in Roman ancestral tradition.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of the Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Elagabalus 369 is classified alongside closely related issues carrying variations of the priestly titulature, such as SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG and INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG. Although the general catalogue date range spans the entirety of the reign from AD 218 to 222, internal numismatic evidence and parallel dated issues place the SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB series late in the chronology, primarily between late AD 220 and early AD 222. The formal dedication of the Elagabalium temple on the Palatine Hill occurred around AD 221, prompting an intense commemorative issue across all denominations, including gold aurei, silver denarii, and bronze sestertii. Minor die variants of RIC 369 exist in the rendering of the sacrificial implement in the emperor's left hand, which alternates in sharpness between a thickened club-like staff and a leafy branch, as well as minor shifts in the placement of the field star relative to the imperial head and the surrounding legend.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Damnatio Memoriae

Following their release from the Rome mint, sestertii of RIC 369 entered general western currency pools alongside residual issues of the second century and earlier Severan bronzes. Archaeological and hoard evidence from Italy, the Rhine frontier, and Gaul demonstrates that third-century bronze circulation was sluggish, with individual sestertii remaining in active commercial service for decades, often exhibiting heavy wear. Following the assassination of Elagabalus in March AD 222, the Roman Senate enacted a formal damnatio memoriae, decreeing the destruction of his public monuments and the obliteration of his official memory. While base-metal coins were rarely subjected to systematic official demonetization or complete manual defacement due to the sheer volume of everyday currency, contemporary hoards indicate that religious types like RIC 369 were gradually culled, overstruck, or worn smooth in commerce. The provocative theological message of the coin ensured that under the succeeding administration of Severus Alexander, the cult of Elagabal was swiftly dismantled, leaving RIC 369 as an isolated numismatic relic of an aborted religious revolution.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 586-590
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 369. ric.4.el.369
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 59, no. 369