Elagabalus Silver Antoninianus RIC IV Elagabalus 12f

Monetary Context and Denominational Background

The antoninianus was introduced in early AD 215 under the emperor Caracalla to address growing fiscal strain and inflation within the Roman state. Valued tariffed at two denarii, this new radiate silver coin was overvalued by the state, as its actual mass averaged between 5.0 and 5.3 grams and its silver fineness remained around 46 to 50 percent, making it equivalent in intrinsic precious metal to only about one and a half denarii. This intrinsic disparity allowed the imperial treasury to reap a seigniorage profit with each coin struck, though it introduced destabilizing incentives into the broader monetary system. Following Caracalla's death, Macrinus continued limited production of the denomination, and upon the accession of Elagabalus in AD 218, the mint of Rome resumed striking antoniniani in moderate quantities. RIC IV Elagabalus 12f was produced during this secondary wave of Severan radiate silver coinage. However, public reluctance to accept the overvalued denomination at face value, coupled with administrative reorganization, led imperial authorities to wind down the production of antoniniani around AD 219 or early 220. After this cessation, the Roman monetary system returned almost exclusively to the denarius and base-metal denominations until the radiate denomination was permanently revived under Balbinus and Pupienus in AD 238. Consequently, the issue of RIC IV Elagabalus 12f reflects the terminal phase of the first iteration of the antoninianus at the capital.

Mint Operation and Production Technology

The production of RIC IV Elagabalus 12f was centralized at the primary mint of Rome, the administrative hub for the vast majority of official precious-metal coinage during the early Severan period. The Rome mint operated through a structured officina system, where distinct workshops handled flan preparation, die engraving, and striking. Flans for these antoniniani were produced by pouring molten silver-copper alloy into individual open molds or by casting long rods that were subsequently sliced into blank discs, which were then annealed to restore malleability prior to striking. The mechanical execution relied on manual striking between upper and lower dies held within an anvil and punch assembly. Die axes at Rome during this period were typically adjusted close to either a six o'clock or twelve o'clock alignment, though minor rotational deviations are common due to the rapid pace of production. The metallurgic standards of the Rome mint in AD 219 maintained a consistent silver fineness of approximately 43 to 48 percent, mixed with copper, lead, and trace trace elements characteristic of recycled Severan bullion. Engravers at Rome exhibited high technical precision in carving portraiture, rendering the youthful facial features of Elagabalus with delicate relief while maintaining crisp, compact lettering around the perimeter of the die.

Obverse Portraiture and Typological Characteristics

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 12f presents the bust of Elagabalus facing right, adorned with a radiate crown, draped mantle, and cuirass. In Roman imperial numismatic conventions of the third century AD, the radiate crown was the primary diagnostic attribute of the double-denomination unit, seen on the dupondius in orichalcum and on the antoninianus in silver, contrasting directly with the laurel wreath worn on the as and the denarius. In the system developed by Mattingly and Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage, the specific letter suffix 'f' in type 12f denotes the combination of bust attributes featuring both drapery and a military cuirass seen from the side or back, as opposed to bare, purely draped, or purely cuirassed varieties. The portrait itself illustrates the youthful countenance of Elagabalus, who was approximately fifteen years old when this coin was struck in AD 219. The imperial portrait is rendered with short cropped hair, neat facial features, and no facial hair, reflecting the youthful imagery maintained by the Rome mint prior to the adoption of more stylized portraits later in the reign. The combination of military dress and the radiate solar crown projected a composite image of martial readiness and divine solar association, presenting the young monarch as an orthodox Roman commander to the army and civilian population alike.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse design of RIC IV Elagabalus 12f depicts the goddess Roma helmeted and dressed in traditional drapery, seated facing left on a backless curule seat or low throne. In her extended right hand, she holds a miniature figure of Victory, who extends a wreath toward the left, while her left hand supports a vertical spear. Resting against the side of her seat is a round or oval shield, completing the martial iconography of the Roman state's protective deity. This visual formula is steeped in classical Roman tradition, drawing directly upon long-standing representations of Roma seated that had been utilized on republican and imperial coinage since the first century BC. The placement of Roma on the reverse of this issue carried substantial political meaning in AD 219. Following the eastern origin of Elagabalus and the unorthodox religious practices associated with the cult of Elagabal of Emesa that the imperial court was introducing, the mint of Rome actively employed conservative, traditional Roman religious motifs to reassure the Senate and Roman populace of the regime's fidelity to ancestral customs. By placing Roma holding Victory at the center of imperial coinage, the regime reaffirmed its devotion to the traditional patroness of the empire and celebrated the continuity of Roman triumph and majesty.

Epigraphy and Titulature

The legends on RIC IV Elagabalus 12f provide unambiguous epigraphic evidence regarding the political ideology and calendar date of the issue. The obverse legend reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, an abbreviated formulation of Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. This titulature deliberately emphasizes the emperor's adopted Antonine lineage, asserting direct descent from Caracalla and Marcus Aurelius to bolster dynastic legitimacy and guarantee the loyalty of the legions. The lettering is set in classical Roman capitals, arranged in a continuous curved arc reading clockwise from the lower left. The reverse legend reads P M TR P II COS II P P, expanding to Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate II, Consul II, Pater Patriae. Each component reflects a cornerstone of imperial legal authority: Pontifex Maximus established his supreme oversight of the state religion; Tribunicia Potestate II recorded his second annual renewal of tribunician power; Consul II commemorated his second ordinary consulship, assumed on January 1, AD 219; and Pater Patriae denoted the honorific title of Father of the Country. The epigraphic composition is balanced, with neatly spaced letterforms designed to fit comfortably within the circular border of dots that frames the design.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of Elagabalus's coinage, RIC IV Elagabalus 12 is divided into several sub-types based on variations in the obverse bust drapery and armor. While the reverse design and legends remain uniform across the issue, type 12f is uniquely distinguished by its radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust facing right. The dating of the issue is exceptionally precise due to the combination of imperial offices recorded in the reverse legend. Elagabalus assumed his first tribunician power upon his formal recognition by the Senate in the summer of AD 218, renewing it as Tribunicia Potestate II on December 10, AD 218, according to standard Roman senatorial reckoning, or on January 1, AD 219, according to alternative administrative conventions. He entered his second consulship alongside Quintus Tineius Sacerdos on January 1, AD 219. Consequently, the combination of TR P II and COS II strictly defines the striking of this issue to the calendar year AD 219. Production of this type terminated before the assumption of his third consulship and third tribunician power at the end of AD 219 and beginning of AD 220, coinciding with the broader cessation of the antoninianus denomination across the mint of Rome.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Evidence

Because the antoninianus of the early Severan era was struck in substantially smaller quantities than the contemporary denarius, RIC IV Elagabalus 12f was issued on a comparatively modest scale. In general monetary circulation, antoniniani and denarii coexisted across the western and eastern provinces, although their interactions were governed by Gresham's law. Because the antoninianus carried an official tariff higher than its intrinsic silver value relative to the denarius, older, higher-purity denarii from the reigns of Septimius Severus or the Antonines were frequently hoarded or melted down by the public, while the lower-fineness radiate coins circulated rapidly to pay immediate taxes and market transactions. However, because Elagabalus halted the minting of antoniniani around AD 219 or 220, these early radiate pieces never managed to replace the denarius in daily commerce. When hoard evidence from Britain, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces is examined, antoniniani of Elagabalus appear in low single-digit percentages compared to the thousands of denarii typically recovered in Severan-era deposits. Many of these radiate pieces remained in circulation until the mid-third century, when they were absorbed and remelted during the massive debasement crises and wholesale reintroduction of the antoninianus under the reigns of Gordian III, Decius, and Valerian.

References

1. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-135
2. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 535-540
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 28-30, no. 12
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 12f. RIC IV Elagabalus 12f