Elagabalus Silver Antoninianus RIC IV Elagabalus 122e

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

The antoninianus, known in ancient documentation under uncertain terminology but conventionally termed the radiate or double denarius by modern numismatists, was introduced under Caracalla in AD 215. Created as a fiscal measure to alleviate state expenditures, the coin was tariffed at two denarii while containing approximately one and a half times the silver content of a contemporary denarius. This built-in overvaluation offered a substantial profit margin for the imperial treasury while gradually introducing inflationary pressures into the Roman market economy. Following the brief reign of Macrinus, who continued the denomination in limited quantities, Elagabalus resumed the production of antoniniani immediately upon his accession in AD 218. However, the minting of antoniniani under Elagabalus was relatively brief at the Rome mint, where output was heavily front-loaded in the opening years of the reign (AD 218 to 219) before being effectively suspended in favor of standard denarii. Within this short production window, RIC IV Elagabalus 122e held a prominent position, serving as an important vehicle for paying military bonuses and regular army stipends. The inherent overvaluation of the radiate piece made it especially suitable for rapid disbursement of imperial donatives, ensuring loyalty among the legions who had secured Elagabalus the purple against Macrinus.

Production Standards and Mint Organization

The manufacture of RIC IV Elagabalus 122e was centered at the primary imperial mint in Rome. By the Severan period, the Roman mint operated through a sophisticated system of numbered or distinct officinae (workshops), each tasked with striking coordinated quantities of precious metal and base metal coinage. The style of RIC IV Elagabalus 122e reflects the neat, practiced engraving characteristic of the urban Roman workshops, distinguishing it from contemporary eastern issues produced at Antioch or other regional military mints. In terms of physical production, the antoniniani of Elagabalus were struck from alloyed silver flans with a fineness fluctuating between 40 and 50 percent silver, the remainder consisting largely of copper and minor trace elements. The target weight standard generally aligned around 5.0 grams, though recorded surviving specimens exhibit a normal dispersion range from approximately 4.2 to 5.6 grams. Flan preparation involved cast blanks that were subsequently flattened and struck with heavy iron or bronze dies. Die axes at Rome during this period were typically regular, commonly aligned at roughly 12 or 6 o'clock, reflecting careful manual handling by the mint workers.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 122e presents the radiate, draped bust of the young emperor facing right. In the specific bust variety designated by subtype 'e' in Roman Imperial Coinage, the drapery is arranged over the shoulders without the visible presence of a cuirass, presenting a civilian mantle that contrasts with the warlike themes often favored on cuirassed variants. The portraiture is rendered in the characteristic high relief of the early Severan engravers, capturing the soft, adolescent features of the emperor alongside the sharp spikes of the radiate solar crown. The radiate crown served a dual purpose on Roman coinage. Primarily, it was the formal diagnostic mark identifying the double denomination, distinguishing the antoninianus from the single denarius, which invariably showed the emperor wearing a laurel wreath. Iconographically, the radiate crown associated the ruler with Sol, a celestial alignment that held particular theological and cultural significance for Elagabalus, who arrived in Rome as the hereditary high priest of the Emesene solar deity Elagabal. Although later issues incorporated more overt religious attributes, this early portrait emphasizes dynastic continuity and legal legitimacy.

Reverse Design and the Mars Victor Motif

The reverse of the coin features Mars, the Roman god of war, advancing aggressively toward the right. Mars is depicted completely helmeted and naked except for a flowing military chlamys (cloak) draped across his shoulders and billowing behind him. In his right hand, the deity carries a transverse spear pointed forward in an offensive stance, while his left hand supports a trophy of arms hoisted over his left shoulder. The trophy consists of captured weapons and armor fixed to a wooden frame, symbolizing decisive victory on the battlefield. The Mars Victor motif had long been an established reverse type in Roman numismatic iconography, traditionally invoked to celebrate triumphs or to court the favor of the legions. For Elagabalus, who was elevated by the army in Syria and had defeated Macrinus at the Battle of Antioch in AD 218, the representation of Mars the Victorious served as an immediate proclamation of martial success. The dynamic posture of the god, striding forward with weapon and spoil, projected an active, vigorous defense of the empire, reassuring traditional Roman observers and military personnel despite the sovereign's youth and unfamiliar foreign religious practices.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The inscriptions on RIC IV Elagabalus 122e are executed in crisp Roman epigraphic lettering. The obverse reads IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, transcribing as Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Augustus. This legend completely omits the emperor's birth name (Varius Avitus Bassianus) and the infamous priestly nickname Elagabalus, neither of which ever appeared on official Roman state coinage. Instead, the legend deliberately replicates the name of Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus), reinforcing the fiction promoted by Julia Maesa that Elagabalus was the illegitimate son of the slain emperor and the rightful heir of the Severan house. The reverse inscription is the simple, direct dedication MARS VICTOR, naming the deity and identifying his victorious aspect. The relationship between the obverse and reverse legends underscores an ideological harmony: the legitimate Antonine emperor rules by virtue of the divine favor and martial protection granted by Mars Victor. The letterforms show standard early third-century traits, such as slender vertical strokes, neatly curved serifs, and proportional spacing encircling the inner border of fine dots.

Typology, Dating, and Subtype Variations

Within the typology established by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage Volume IV Part 2, catalog number 122 encompasses a series of antoniniani sharing the MARS VICTOR reverse paired with obverse portraits of Elagabalus. The capital letter suffixes (a through e) denote specific bust variations. Subtype 122e is strictly defined by the radiate, draped bust facing right, without cuirass. It is distinguished from subtype 122a (radiate, draped, and cuirassed right) and other minor drapery variations recorded in specialized corpora. Chronologically, although the catalogue system covers the broad envelope of the reign from AD 218 to 222, detailed hoard studies and mint analyses place the striking of RIC IV 122e within the initial phase of the reign, most probably between mid-AD 218 and AD 219. By AD 220, the Rome mint had ceased the regular production of silver antoniniani, returning exclusively to the denarius until the short-lived revival of the radiate denomination under Balbinus and Pupienus in AD 238. Consequently, RIC 122e belongs to a tightly bounded emission that marked the final major Severan issue of antoniniani at the western capital.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Because the antoninianus of Elagabalus was withdrawn or suspended from active production early in his reign, specimens of RIC IV Elagabalus 122e circulated in mixed monetary pools alongside earlier Caracallan radiates, contemporary denarii, and residual Antonine silver. Gresham's Law, or its ancient equivalent, frequently incentivized the hoarding of earlier higher-fineness denarii, while the lower-fineness antoniniani remained in active circulation or were buried in military deposit hoards throughout the European and Eastern provinces. Numerous third-century hoards across Britain, the Rhine frontier, the Balkans, and the Levant have yielded examples of Elagabalus's antoniniani. These specimens often show moderate to heavy circulation wear when discovered in deposits dating from the mid-to-late third century, such as those buried during the chaotic reign of Gallienus or the Post-Severan period. The survival rate of RIC 122e is relatively robust, making it a familiar representative of Severan antoninianus production, yet well-preserved specimens retaining crisp details of Mars's trophy and the emperor's drapery remain crucial benchmarks for studying die-cutting transitions at Rome.

References

1. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan Decius. pp. 605-618
2. Description historique des monnaies frappees sous l'Empire Romain, Tome IV. p. 332, no. 112
3. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 126-132
4. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 535-542
5. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 122e. ric.4.el.122e
6. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 37-38, no. 122e