Elagabalus Gold Aureus RIC IV Elagabalus 26d

Monetary Context and Imperial Gold Policy

Under the Severan dynasty, the gold aureus functioned as the anchor of the Roman monetary system and the ultimate store of value for state transactions, elite wealth storage, and military loyalty. While Septimius Severus and Caracalla had progressively reduced the silver content of the denarius, and Caracalla introduced the double denarius or antoninianus, imperial gold coinage maintained exceptional metallurgical purity. Aurei of Elagabalus, struck between AD 218 and 222, generally conformed to a standard calibrated at approximately 45 coins to the Roman pound, corresponding to a nominal theoretical weight around 7.2 grams, though surviving specimens regularly fluctuate between 6.3 and 7.3 grams. Struck early in his reign in AD 219, RIC IV Elagabalus 26d formed part of the essential regular coinage utilized by the imperial fiscus. The issuance of gold was critical for cementing Elagabalus's legitimacy following the overthrow of Macrinus, who had sought to retrench military spending. High-value gold issues were directly linked to imperial accessions, annual renewals of imperial vows, and donatives to the Praetorian Guard and legionary detachments stationed near Rome. Because gold coins rarely functioned in retail trade, their distribution patterns were closely tied to state payments, imperial grants, and large-scale fiscal administration.

Production and Mint Organization at Rome

The aureus catalogued as RIC IV Elagabalus 26d was produced entirely at the principal imperial mint located in Rome. Following his acclamation in Syria in AD 218, Elagabalus journeyed westward and made his formal adventus into the imperial capital during the summer of AD 219. Although eastern mints such as Antioch had struck initial issues for the new regime, the central administrative mint at Rome immediately assumed production of the full imperial denominational series, using high-relief dies cut by the most skilled engravers of the empire. The mint operated through several administrative workshops (officinae), although gold coins of this period do not explicitly carry officina marks on their flans. Production of the aureus required blank flans cast with high precision and heated before being struck between engraved iron or bronze dies. The dies for RIC IV Elagabalus 26d demonstrate the refined stylistic traditions of Severan Rome, with meticulous attention paid to the emperor's youthful features and the complex layering of classical military dress. The survival rate of Severan aurei suggests that individual die pairs were prepared in limited numbers compared to the massive output of billon and silver denominations.

Obverse Portrait and Imperial Iconography

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 26d carries a detailed portrait of the young ruler, designated formally as bust right, laureate, draped, and cuirassed. In numismatic classification, this combination of laurel wreath, military cuirass, and paludamentum (drapery) constitutes one of the most complete imperial ceremonial presentations, signifying both civil majesty and military leadership. The portraiture executed at Rome in AD 219 intentionally emphasized continuity with the earlier Severan rulers. Elagabalus is shown with smooth, adolescent facial contours, a slightly rounded chin, and short curls crowned by a laurel wreath tied with ribbons extending down the back of the neck. This artistic formulation closely resembles the late childhood and early teenage portraits of Caracalla, reinforcing the official dynastic claim that Elagabalus was the legitimate son and rightful heir of the murdered Antonine emperor. In RIC IV, the subtype letter 'd' designates this precise combination of drapery and cuirass viewed from the back or side, distinguishing it from related obverse variants of the same issue that feature a laureate head alone or a bust with drapery only.

Reverse Iconography: Roma Seated

The reverse of the type features the goddess Roma, personifying the eternal city and the core traditions of the Roman state. She is depicted seated left on a low throne or curule chair, helmeted and draped in classical robes. In her extended right hand she holds a miniature figure of Victory, who offers a wreath, while Roma's left hand cradles an upright sceptre or spear, symbol of sovereignty and lawful authority. Resting against her seat or placed by her side is an oval or round shield, highlighting her protective martial role. This design represents a venerable reverse type that had appeared regularly on imperial coinage since the first century AD. Within the context of AD 219, the selection of Roma holding Victory served a distinct political purpose: it reassured the Roman Senate and populace that the Syrian-born emperor respected conventional Roman religious norms and the primacy of the imperial capital. While the later coinage of Elagabalus became infamous for promoting the cult of Elagabal and the Black Stone of Emesa, this early aureus reflects complete adherence to the classical pantheon and traditional Roman civic theology.

Epigraphy and Imperial Titulature

The inscriptions on RIC IV Elagabalus 26d provide precise historical documentation of Elagabalus's titles early in his reign. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, an abbreviation for Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. By completely omitting his birth name of Varius Avitus Bassianus, the epigraphy underscores his official adoption into the Antonine and Severan line. The reverse inscription reads PONTIF MAX TR P II COS II P P, expanding to Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate II, Consul II, Pater Patriae. This epigraphic formula is crucial for dating the emission. Elagabalus assumed his first tribunician power upon his formal recognition in AD 218, renewing it for the second time (TR P II) on 10 December 218 or on 1 January 219. He served his second consulship (COS II) starting in January AD 219 alongside Quintus Tineius Sacerdos. The inclusion of Pontifex Maximus indicates his accession to the supreme religious office in the capital, while Pater Patriae reflects the honorary title voted to him by the Senate. The legend confirms that the coin was struck during AD 219, prior to his assumption of the third tribunician power and third consulship in AD 220.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard reference corpus Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), Volume IV, Part II, Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham classified the Roma seated gold issues of AD 219 under catalogue number 26. Number 26 encompasses multiple distinct bust varieties assigned lettered suffixes, of which 26d denotes the laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right. Parallel strikes were issued across other denominations sharing the identical reverse formula and epigraphy, including the denarius (RIC IV 26) and the brass sestertius, demonstrating coordinated messaging across metals. Chronologically, RIC IV 26d belongs to the second general emission of Rome for Elagabalus, preceding the issues of TR P III (AD 220) and the subsequent series where the emperor is titled SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB. The type is closely linked typologically to RIC IV 25 and 27, which bear similar tribunician formulae but employ different allegorical reverses such as Pax or the imperial quadriga. Because gold dies were expensive and durable, some die linkage occurs across closely spaced emissions, but specimens of RIC 26d consistently adhere to the strictly dated PONTIF MAX TR P II COS II P P reverse legend.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Aurei of Elagabalus circulated within a restricted, high-status economic sphere. Because a single aureus represented equivalent value to 25 silver denarii or 100 sesterces, it was far too valuable for day-to-day transactions and was preserved primarily in fiscal treasuries, high-ranking military disbursements, and elite savings hoards. Gold coins of the early Severan period enjoyed prolonged survival because their high precious metal content protected them from the frequent demonetization or debasement that affected contemporary silver. When gold hoards from the third century AD are discovered across Roman provinces in Britain, Gaul, Italy, and the Danubian frontier, aurei of Elagabalus occasionally appear alongside earlier issues of Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and later pieces of Severus Alexander. However, because his reign lasted under four years and the output of gold was modest compared to the extensive mintages of earlier dynasties, surviving specimens of RIC IV Elagabalus 26d are comparatively scarce. Extant examples survive mainly through accidental concealment in hoards buried during the political instability of the mid-third century AD.

References

1. The Roman Aurei, Vol. II: From Didius Julianus to Constantius I (193-305 A.D.). pp. 522-525
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 148-154
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 26d. ric.4.el.26d
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 28-29, no. 26d
5. Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume II: The Accession of Nerva to the Death of Severus Alexander. p. 586