Elagabalus Bronze Sestertius, RIC IV Elagabalus 353

Monetary Context and Imperial Largesse

During the Severan period, the sestertius retained its traditional status as the primary large brass coin of everyday commerce and civic display, positioned at four sestertii to the silver denarius and eight to the newly introduced antoninianus. While precious metal denominations were heavily struck to satisfy direct payments to the legionaries and frontier commands, large copper-alloy pieces circulated extensively within Italy and the western provinces. Imperial distributions, termed liberalitates, had long served as vital ceremonial milestones in the reigns of Roman emperors. These imperial payouts reinforced civic loyalty among the plebs urbana and commemorated specific triumphs, consulates, or ceremonial arrivals. RIC IV Elagabalus 353 specifically records the emperor's second donative (Liberalitas Augusti II), which followed the initial distributions staged upon his accession. By issuing sestertii marked with Liberalitas holding the account board and cornucopiae, the imperial administration publicized financial beneficence and abundance, seeking to shore up civic legitimacy during an era characterized by profound factional tensions in the capital.

Mint Organization and Production Standards

This sestertius type was struck exclusively at the central imperial mint in Rome, which operated under a well-developed departmental system organized into distinct officinae. While silver denarii in this era were produced in vast quantities, the volume of sestertii under Elagabalus was notably lower than that of the Antonine golden age. Production relied on cast planchets of orichalcum (a copper-zinc alloy) or related bronze compositions, manually hammered between engraved bronze or iron dies. Sestertii of Elagabalus typically exhibit weights ranging between 20.0 and 26.5 grams, with module diameters spanning approximately 30 to 33 millimeters, though flan thickness and irregular edges produce considerable variance across known examples. Die alignment is commonly upright or slightly inverted (six or twelve o'clock), conforming to prevailing Roman workshop conventions. Metallurgical studies of early third-century aes indicate fluctuating zinc levels in orichalcum coinage, reflecting recycled metal stock and gradual adjustments to alloy purity in the imperial melting shops.

Obverse Portraiture and Style

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 353 presents a right-facing bust of Elagabalus shown laureate, draped, and cuirassed. The imperial portraiture under Elagabalus deliberately emphasizes his fictitious descent from Caracalla, presenting youthful yet authoritative features designed to evoke the legacy of the Antonine dynasty. The laurel wreath sits firmly on the head, tied at the nape with ribbon tails falling across the shoulder. The drapery of the paludamentum rests over a breastplate, visible at the chest and neck, conveying a composite role of civil administrator and commander-in-chief. Sculptural carving of the dies reflects the continuing Severan mannerist style, characterized by finely rendered curl clusters in the hair, delicate facial modeling, and sharp drapery folds across the shoulder. Varied die cutters within the Rome mint produced subtle stylistic differences in portrait proportions, ranging from slender, juvenile physiognomy on earlier dies to somewhat broader portraits as his reign progressed.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse design presents Liberalitas, the divine personification of imperial generosity, standing draped and turned slightly toward the left. In her right hand she extends an abacus (also interpreted by numismatists as a tessera or counting board), an instrument perforated with slots to swiftly calculate and distribute coin quantities during public donatives. In her left arm she cradles a horn of plenty (cornucopiae), laden with fruits, symbolizing the material abundance generated by good government. Flanking the lower fields are the letters S and C, denoting Senatus Consulto ('by decree of the Senate'), the longstanding constitutional formula verifying the Senate's traditional authority over bronze coin issues. A notable feature in the field of RIC IV Elagabalus 353 is an additional celestial emblem, variously categorized in catalogue descriptions as a radiate globe or an eight-pointed star. This astral adjunct has been interpreted by scholars either as an allusion to the Syrian sun god Elagabal, whose cult the emperor enthusiastically championed, or as an astrological indicator of cosmic prosperity and renewal.

Epigraphy and Legend Readings

The inscriptions on both faces of the coin use classical Roman epigraphy, carved in neat capitals along the circumference within a beaded or linear border. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, an abbreviation of 'Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Pius Augustus'. This sequence deliberately omits the emperor's Syrian birth name, Varius Avitus Bassianus, in favor of the official Antonine nomenclature adopted to cement his claim as the legitimate son of Caracalla. On the reverse, the legend is inscribed as LIBERALITAS AVGVSTI II S C. Here, 'Liberalitas Augusti II' explicitly identifies the occasion as the second imperial distribution of the reign, while 'S C' confirms senatorial validation. Epigraphic variants for this specific type are minimal, though minor differences in letter spacing, punctuation stops, and the precise arrangement of the field symbol relative to the figure of Liberalitas appear across individual dies.

Typology and Chronological Placement

The precise chronological placement of RIC IV Elagabalus 353 centers on the administration of the second liberalitas. Mattingly and Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage placed this issue broadly within the reign between 218 and 222 AD. Historical records preserved in the Augustan History and Cassius Dio indicate that Elagabalus entered Rome in the summer of 219 AD after wintering in Nicomedia, staging public celebrations and donatives upon his arrival. Consequently, numismatists typically date Liberalitas II to approximately 219 AD, following the inaugural donative of 218 AD associated with his ascension in Syria. In the typological sequence of Severan aes, this coin forms part of a series of liberalitas commemorations spanning sestertii, dupondii, and asses, alongside parallel denarius emissions. RIC IV Elagabalus 353 is distinguished from neighboring types, such as RIC 354 and 355, by its specific combination of the fully cuirassed and draped bust, the second distribution numeral, and the addition of the celestial symbol in the reverse field.

Circulation and Deposition Patterns

Like most Roman sestertii of the third century, specimens of RIC IV Elagabalus 353 entered monetary circulation primarily within the urban markets of Italy, the western European provinces, and along the Rhine-Danube military corridors. Because bronze coinage of the high empire circulated over multiple decades, surviving examples frequently display moderate to heavy surface wear, indicating that they remained active tender through the reigns of Severus Alexander, the Gordians, and into the mid-third century crisis. In hoard contexts, Severan bronze coins routinely appear mingled with second-century Antonine issues, illustrating the extended longevity of base-metal fractions compared to rapidly debased silver denominations. Sestertii of Elagabalus are comparatively scarcer in circulation deposits than those of his predecessor Septimius Severus or his successor Severus Alexander, reflecting both the brevity of his four-year reign and the selective reclamation or restriking of earlier bronzes by provincial and metropolitan mints.

References

1. I Grandi Bronzi Imperiali: Elagabalo (Volume IV, 2). pp. 42-45
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 586-595
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 353. RIC IV Elagabalus 353