Elagabalus Silver Antoninianus, RIC IV Elagabalus 155f

Monetary and Economic Context

The antoninianus was introduced into the imperial monetary system by Caracalla in AD 215, functioning as a radiate double denarius designed to alleviate fiscal strain on the treasury. While tariffed at two denarii in state transactions and military pay, the coin contained only about one and a half times the silver weight of an equivalent denarius. This intrinsic overvaluation created an institutionalized profit margin for the imperial mint, yet it also generated structural inflationary pressure within the Roman economy. Under Elagabalus, who reigned from AD 218 to 222, the antoninianus continued to circulate alongside the standard laureate denarius, although denarii remained the primary silver denomination struck in vastly larger quantities. The issue of RIC IV Elagabalus 155f reflects an ongoing imperial effort to satisfy military cash disbursements through the production of overvalued radiate pieces, maintaining the fiscal continuity established by his Severan predecessors.

Production Standards and Minting

The production of RIC IV Elagabalus 155f was assigned by Harold Mattingly and Edward Sydenham to the central mint at Rome. Imperial mint operations under Elagabalus were organized into distinct officinae that simultaneously engraved dies, prepared flans, and struck silver coinage. Metrological studies indicate that antoniniani of this period typically averaged between 2.8 and 3.4 grams, with noticeable weight variation among individual specimens owing to the ancient practice of striking coins al marco, where a fixed number of planchets was cut from a given weight of bullion without meticulous adjustment of individual blanks. The silver alloy of these issues generally hovered around forty to forty-six percent fineness, continuing the gradual decline in intrinsic purity observed across the Severan dynasty. Flans were cast as circular blanks before being struck between engraved iron dies, often displaying slight irregularity in edge contours.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 155f exhibits a youthful bust of Elagabalus facing right. Specific to the catalogue subtype 155f, the imperial bust is characterized by a full combination of radiate crown, drapery, and cuirass viewed from the side. The radiate crown serves as the primary visual marker of the antoninianus denomination, distinguishing it from the laureate portrait employed on standard denarii. The youthful countenance reflects the emperor's accession at approximately fourteen years of age, though imperial die cutters rendered the portrait within idealized Severan iconographical conventions. The rendering of the drapery over the breastplate emphasizes the dual civilian and military roles of the princeps, presenting him as a legitimate commander endowed with divine solar favor.

Reverse Iconography

The reverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 155f features the goddess Victory (Victoria), winged and draped, advancing rapidly toward the right. In her extended right hand, she holds forward a laurel wreath, the classic Hellenistic and Roman symbol of triumphal achievement. In her left hand, sloped comfortably over her left shoulder, she carries a palm branch, symbolizing endurance and martial triumph. This dynamic motif was deeply rooted in traditional Roman military propaganda, functioning as an unequivocal declaration of imperial victory. For a regime founded upon a military coup against the usurper Macrinus, publicizing the favor of Victory was essential for securing the loyalty of the praetorians and provincial legions.

Epigraphy and Legends

The obverse inscription reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, abbreviating the formal titulature Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. By completely omitting his birth name of Varius Avitus Bassianus and adopting the full nomenclature of Caracalla and Marcus Aurelius, Elagabalus explicitly grounded his constitutional authority in the Antonine bloodline. The reverse inscription reads VICTOR ANTONINI AVG, translating as 'The Victory of Antoninus Augustus.' This formulation directly ties the divine personification of Victory to the reigning emperor himself, framing the outcome of the civil conflict of AD 218 not merely as a state success, but as the personal triumph and divine vindication of the youthful Antonine ruler.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the typology of the Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Elagabalus 155 is classified into multiple bust variants denoted by letters, with 155f denoting the radiate, draped, and cuirassed variety facing right. Neighboring variants differ in drapery alone, such as radiate draped without cuirass (155c) or radiate cuirassed without drapery. Chronologically, while the general catalogue framework bounds the issue within the full reign of AD 218 to 222, numismatic consensus places this issue early in the reign, between mid-218 and 219. Production of the antoninianus waned dramatically toward the midpoint of Elagabalus's reign, as the imperial administration increasingly restricted silver output to denarii, leading to the virtual cessation of the denomination before AD 222.

Circulation and Hoard Evidence

Antoniniani of Elagabalus entered general circulation across the European, Danubian, and eastern frontiers of the Roman Empire, where legionary forces were concentrated. Hoard deposits from Britain, Gaul, and the Balkans regularly contain early Severan antoniniani intermixed with Caracalla's issues and large quantities of denarii. Because the antoninianus was intrinsically overvalued compared to its official purchasing power, Gresham's Law prompted some contemporaries to hoard older, purer denarii while spending debased antoniniani. However, due to the relatively short production window of radiate silver under Elagabalus, pieces of RIC IV Elagabalus 155f appear in smaller overall proportions within third-century hoards than the later mass issues of Gordian III or Decius.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Volume V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. Elagabalus, Rome Mint
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 155f. ric.4.el.155f
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 43, no. 155f
4. The Metrology of the Roman Silver Coinage, Part III: From Pertinax to Uranius Antoninus. BAR Supplementary Series 40, pp. 60-75