Elagabalus Silver Denarius RIC IV Elagabalus 103

Monetary Context and Denominational System

During the reign of Elagabalus from AD 218 to 222, the Roman monetary system continued to follow the structural arrangements established by Septimius Severus and Caracalla, marked by progressive debasement and fiscal pressure. The silver denarius, though nominally the central accounting and transactional unit of imperial coinage for centuries, possessed a silver fineness that had fallen to approximately forty to forty-five percent silver, with the remainder composed of copper and minor alloy trace elements. The typical weight of the denarius during this period hovered between 2.8 and 3.2 grams, reflecting a continued retreat from the higher standards maintained during the second century under the Antonines. Simultaneously, the double denarius or antoninianus, originally introduced by Caracalla in AD 215, remained part of regular production during the earlier part of the reign of Elagabalus before being temporarily discontinued. The issuance of standard denarii such as RIC IV Elagabalus 103 served everyday imperial payments, military stipends, and civil distributions. The specific reference on this type to the third imperial liberality highlights the administrative role of coinage as both currency and state propaganda, conveying the material generosity of the ruler to soldiers and the plebs urbana.

Production Standards and Mint Attribution

The type RIC IV Elagabalus 103 was produced exclusively at the primary imperial mint in Rome. Under Elagabalus, the Rome mint operated across multiple workshops (officinae) dedicated to striking precious-metal issues for imperial expenditure. While mint signatures were not explicitly engraved on denarii of this period, stylistic coherence, portraiture execution, and reverse engraving characteristics firmly isolate Rome from contemporary eastern mint operations, such as those historically assigned to Antioch or Nicomedia. Production followed standard Roman blank-casting and strike-hammering techniques. Planchets were prepared by casting silver-copper alloy flans, which were often pickled in mild acidic solutions to enrich the surface layer with silver before striking. This created a bright silver appearance on freshly minted coins, although wear and oxidation often expose the underlying baser core over time. Flans were hand-hammered between engraved bronze or iron dies, resulting in characteristic slight variations in centering, flan shape, and strike sharpness across surviving specimens.

Obverse Portraiture and Iconography

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 103 displays a right-facing bust of Elagabalus, shown laureate and draped. Certain die varieties may include slight cuirassing visible at the chest or shoulder beneath the drapery, consistent with stylistic variations typical of the Rome mint engravers. The laurel wreath symbolizes triumph, imperial authority, and sacred favor, tied at the occiput with two ribbons that trail down the nape of the neck. Portraiture across this issue reflects the changing physical features of the adolescent prince as rendered by urban die-cutters. Early issues depict a relatively round, smooth, and youthful facial profile, which gradually acquired hints of sideburns and maturation as his reign progressed. The artistic rendering on Roman denarii adhered closely to imperial models, projecting an image of stability and continuity with his alleged father, Caracalla.

Reverse Typology and Allegory

The reverse of the type features Liberalitas, the female personification of imperial generosity and munificence, standing draped and facing left. In her right hand, she extends an abacus, also described in numismatic literature as a counting board or checker-like tally tool utilized to dispense regular payments or grain tesserae. In her left arm, she cradles a cornucopiae, the traditional symbol of overflowing abundance, agricultural prosperity, and fertility. A defining diagnostic attribute of RIC IV Elagabalus 103 is the addition of a star in the field, located near the personification. The star is a well-attested religious symbol on the coinage of Elagabalus, directly reflecting the Syrian solar deity Elagabal, of whom the emperor served as hereditary high priest. While earlier Roman rulers occasionally placed celestial symbols on coins to indicate divinity or eternity, the prominent star on later issues of Elagabalus signaled the elevated status of the sun god within the official state pantheon.

Epigraphy and Legends

The legends on RIC IV Elagabalus 103 are engraved in clear, uppercase Roman epigraphic script and provide vital chronological and titular evidence. The obverse legend reads IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, which expands to Imperator Antoninus Pius Augustus. Upon his accession in AD 218, Elagabalus adopted the dynastic name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to reinforce his fabricated lineage as the son of Caracalla. The inclusion of Pius emphasized filial duty and religious devotion, while Augustus confirmed his supreme constitutional authority. The reverse inscription reads LIBERALITAS AVG III, expanding to Liberalitas Augusti III. This legend explicitly designates the third imperial liberality of the reign. Through this concise phrase, the imperial administration publicized a tangible act of state generosity, assuring recipients of imperial gifts that the young emperor maintained the traditional redistributive duties expected of a legitimate Caesar.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

In the standard reference work Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), this type is cataloged under RIC IV Part II, Elagabalus no. 103. In Henry Cohen's nineteenth-century corpus, similar reverse compositions featuring the third liberality with a star correspond to entries under the emperor's Antonine denomination index. In modern collections, it is indexed under OCRE identifier ric.4.el.103. Chronologically, the Liberalitas Augusti III series is placed within the broader window of AD 218 to 222, with numismatic consensus narrowing its striking to approximately AD 219 to 221. The appearance of the star in the reverse field generally associates the issue with the middle and later phases of the reign, following the arrival of the sacred black stone and cult of Elagabal in Rome in AD 219. This type is distinguished from earlier Liberalitas issues (Liberalitas I and II) by both the iteration numeral III and the insertion of the religious star emblem.

Circulation, Hoard Contexts, and Survival

Denarii of type RIC IV Elagabalus 103 circulated widely throughout the western and Danubian provinces of the Roman Empire, as well as in Italy. During the early third century, vast quantities of silver were dispatched from the capital to frontier legionary bases along the Rhine and Danube to maintain border defenses and secure military allegiance. Consequently, examples of this issue appear regularly in major third-century coin hoards from Britain, Gaul, Germany, and the Balkans. Hoard evidence demonstrates that denarii of Elagabalus continued to pass hand-to-hand well into the reign of Severus Alexander and beyond, circulating alongside earlier Severan and Antonine issues until the massive inflations and systematic debasements of the mid-third century drove them out of general use. Surviving specimens show a spectrum of preservation, from heavily worn pieces that circulated for decades to mint-state examples hoarded shortly after striking.

References

1. Description historique des monnaies frappees sous l'Empire romain, Tome IV. p. 331, no. 84
2. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 103. ric.4.el.103
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 38, no. 103