Elagabalus Silver Antoninianus, RIC IV Elagabalus 129e

Monetary Context

The radiate double denarius, conventionally termed the antoninianus by modern scholars, was introduced under Caracalla in AD 215 as an imperial fiscal device to alleviate state expenditure and military remuneration pressures. Tariffed at two denarii but struck at a weight equivalent to approximately one and a half denarii, the new denomination possessed an inherent fiduciary premium. Under Macrinus and subsequently at the accession of Elagabalus in AD 218, the denomination continued to be produced, albeit with diminishing output relative to the standard silver denarius. The antoniniani struck under Elagabalus, including RIC IV Elagabalus 129e, represent the final phase of the first cycle of antoninianus production at Rome. Following this brief issue period in AD 218 and AD 219, imperial authorities effectively suspended the striking of silver radiates at the capital. The denomination was not revived until the joint reign of Balbinus and Pupienus in AD 238, making these Severan radiates a distinctive transitional episode in third-century Roman monetary policy.

Production and Mints

RIC IV Elagabalus 129e was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint of Rome. The mint operated through several administrative workshops, or officinae, which shared iconographic models and legend structures across multiple denominations. Antoniniani of this series were manufactured using cast silver flans struck between engraved iron dies. The typical weight range for antoniniani under Elagabalus centered between 4.80 and 5.30 grams, with typical flan diameters ranging from 21 to 23 millimeters. Metallurgical analyses of Severan silver coinage from this era indicate a fineness fluctuating between forty and forty-five percent silver, with the remainder composed of copper and minor trace elements. The visual indicator of the denomination was the imperial radiate crown, a long-established Roman convention distinguishing double denominations, such as the dupondius in orichalcum and the antoninianus in silver.

Obverse Portraiture and Attributes

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 129e depicts the young emperor facing right, wearing a solar radiate crown and draped in civilian or military mantle. In the classification scheme of Roman Imperial Coinage, the letter suffix e denotes this exact bust arrangement of radiate and draped bust right, differentiating it from companion varieties that feature radiate, draped, and cuirassed busts or simple radiate heads. The portraiture belongs to the earliest stylistic group of the reign, wherein die engravers at Rome portrayed the new ruler with juvenile facial features, smooth cheeks, and closely cropped curls reminiscent of Caracalla. This deliberate physiognomic resemblance served an essential ideological objective, reinforcing the official claim that the adolescent ruler was the legitimate son and rightful heir of Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (Caracalla).

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse design presents Providentia standing draped and turned slightly toward the left. Her left elbow rests against a slender classical column, providing physical stability to her pose while she cradles an overflowing cornucopiae in her left arm. In her extended right hand, she holds a wand, or virga, which directs attention toward a terrestrial globe resting upon the ground at her feet. This compositional assembly unites three core themes of Roman imperial theology: the column signifies steadfastness and imperial security (securitas); the cornucopiae conveys abundance and the material benefits of imperial rule (ubertas); and the globe directed by the wand signifies cosmic and terrestrial dominion guided by divine foresight. By evoking Providentia Deorum, the reverse declares that Elagabalus' accession and continued reign were directly ordained, guided, and protected by the wisdom of the gods.

Legends and Epigraphy

The obverse legend reads IMP ANTONINVS AVG, an abbreviated formulation of Imperator Antoninus Augustus. This compact legend omitted consular numbers, tribunician iterations, and the title of Pontifex Maximus, which was characteristic of early Severan mint protocol before complete titulature was formally integrated. The reverse inscription reads PROVID DEORVM, an abbreviation of Providentia Deorum ('To the Foresight of the Gods'). The lettering is rendered in standard Roman imperial square capitals, engraved with neat serifs and consistent line weights characteristic of early third-century Rome mint practice. The brevity of both inscriptions allowed the engravers maximum space to emphasize the detailed drapery and iconographic attributes of the figures on both sides.

Typology and Chronology

In the standard reference work Roman Imperial Coinage Volume IV Part II, type 129 is catalogued under the general reign dates of AD 218 to 222. However, detailed die studies and chronological analyses by scholars such as Marcel Thirion demonstrate that antoniniani with the simple obverse legend IMP ANTONINVS AVG were struck within a much narrower timeframe. Production began in the summer of AD 218 following the defeat of Macrinus and continued into AD 219. By late AD 219 or early AD 220, the mint of Rome ceased production of silver antoniniani altogether, channeling available bullion into standard denarii. Within the RIC 129 typology, minor variations exist primarily in bust drapery and cuirass combinations; variant 129e represents the specific combination of a radiate, draped bust facing right without visible cuirass armor.

Circulation and Hoard Evidence

Antoniniani of Elagabalus entered a currency pool dominated by earlier denarii of the Antonine and Severan dynasties. Because the double denarius was overvalued relative to its actual metal content, it often suffered from selective hoarding or selective trade use under Gresham's law dynamics. Hoard discoveries across the western and Danubian provinces indicate that antoniniani of Elagabalus circulated alongside those of Caracalla and Macrinus, though they are consistently recovered in far smaller quantities than denarii of the same reign. When the denomination was discontinued circa AD 219, existing specimens remained in active circulation for decades, frequently appearing in mid-third-century savings hoards until the massive debasements under Gallienus and Claudius II effectively removed earlier, higher-grade silver pieces from regular market transactions.

References

1. The Coinage of the Severan Dynasty: Production and Circulation. Chapter 4
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 129e. ric.4.el.129e
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 39, no. 129e
4. Le monnayage d'Elagabale (218-222). Brussels, 1968