Julia Soaemias Silver Denarius RIC IV Elagabalus 237

Monetary Context and Denominational Role

During the reign of Elagabalus (218 to 222 AD), the silver denarius served as the core fractional accounting unit and primary daily transaction coin of the Roman Empire, circulating alongside the double denarius (antoninianus) introduced by Caracalla. Although Caracalla had created the antoninianus in 215 AD, the imperial treasury under Elagabalus resumed massive production of traditional denarii, temporarily reducing the reliance on the radiate double denomination. The imperial silver coinage of this era retained the debased standard instituted under Septimius Severus and Caracalla, carrying an average silver fineness of approximately forty-three to forty-six percent, with the balance comprised of copper. Denarii of this period were struck to a theoretical standard yielding around 96 to 108 coins per Roman pound (libra), producing typical specimen weights clustering between 2.8 and 3.2 grams, with diameters averaging 18 to 20 millimeters. In this monetary environment, denarii struck for female members of the imperial family fulfilled identical economic functions to those struck in the name of the emperor. Coins honoring imperial women, including Julia Soaemias, were integrated directly into military disbursements, administrative salaries, and urban commerce across Italy and the provinces, rather than serving merely as commemorative medals.

Production and Mint Attribution

The entire verified emission of RIC IV Elagabalus 237 is attributed to the principal imperial mint at Rome. While provincial issues and eastern mints, such as Antioch, struck silver and billon tetradrachms or select imperial denarii for Elagabalus and his relatives, this specific reverse type with Juno Regina holding a Palladium was executed by the central urban officinae in the capital. Dies for this issue were cut by seasoned Roman engravers working in the high-relief Severan portrait style. Production relied on traditional blank casting in clay or stone molds, followed by hot striking between hand-held engraved bronze or iron dies. The die axis for Rome mint denarii of this issue is predominantly regular, typically aligning at twelve o'clock or six o'clock, reflecting the structured workshop organization and standardized die alignment practices of the Roman mint. Output volume for Julia Soaemias was substantial throughout the four-year reign, though specimens carrying the Juno Regina reverse are notably less abundant than her prolific Venus Caelestis reverse issues.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 237 presents the right-facing draped bust of Julia Soaemias. The portrait exemplifies the sophisticated court hairstyling popularized by the Syrian empresses of the Severan dynasty, pioneered by Soaemias's mother, Julia Maesa, and aunt, Julia Domna. The hair is parted neatly along the center, arranged in rigid horizontal undulations or waves across the cranium, drawn down over the ears, and turned up low at the nape of the neck into a broad flat chignon or plait secured at the back. The facial features reflect a mature noblewoman, characterized by almond-shaped eyes, a defined straight nose, and calm imperial composure, avoiding extreme individual idealization in favor of familial dynastic resemblance to earlier Severan portraiture. Her drapery covers the shoulders and upper chest in gathered folds, secured at the neckline. The portrait is framed by a continuous beaded border encircling the flan.

Reverse Design and Iconographic Symbolism

The reverse iconography features Juno, the paramount goddess of the Roman pantheon and protector of the state and marriage, standing facing right. She is rendered in traditional religious attire, veiled and diademed, draped in a full-length stola that extends to her feet. In her right hand, Juno holds an upright or slightly angled long sceptre, the conventional attribute of divine sovereignty and queenly authority. In her extended left hand, she supports the Palladium, a miniature archaic statuette of armed Pallas Athena bearing a spear and shield. The incorporation of the Palladium is of profound symbolic significance. In Roman mythology and state religion, the Palladium was the sacred Troy-derived relic preserved in the Temple of Vesta, believed to guarantee the physical security and eternal continuity of Rome. By placing the Palladium in the hand of Juno Regina on a coin honoring the emperor's mother, the mint reinforced Julia Soaemias's position as a guardian of the state, divine motherhood, and the institutional security of the Severan house.

Epigraphy and Legend Analysis

The obverse inscription reads IVLIA SOAEMIAS AVGVSTA, struck in clear capital Latin letterforms along the periphery, beginning low on the left and terminating low on the right. The legend confirms her personal Syrian name, Soaemias, combined with the gentilicium Julia, which marked her belonging to the royal house of Emesa and the Severan imperial family. The title Augusta formally designated her status as empress mother, a rank conferred upon her shortly after Elagabalus took power in 218 AD. The reverse legend is rendered concisely as IVNO REGINA, translating as 'To Juno the Queen'. This dative or nominative invocation was the canonical formula used for dedications to the consort of Jupiter Optimus Maximus. The epigraphy across both faces displays uniform letter height and typical early third-century Severan serifs, with unbroken legends following the contours of the beaded border without internal mint marks or officina numerals.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard classification scheme of The Roman Imperial Coinage (RIC), this type is catalogued as RIC IV Elagabalus 237, having also been recorded in earlier corpuses including Henry Cohen's Description historique des monnaies frappees sous l'Empire romain as Cohen 3. Within the broader numismatic typology of Julia Soaemias, her coinage divides broadly between maternal-religious personifications and divine Venus types. The Venus Caelestis issues, depicting the goddess seated or standing with an apple and star, represent the most common reverse type of her series and emphasize her connection to Syrian solar and celestial theology. In contrast, the Juno Regina series, including RIC 237, adheres to conservative Roman theological norms. Because the coin carries no consular dates or tribunician numbers, its date is bounded by Elagabalus's reign from 218 to 222 AD. Stylistic comparisons with the dated coinage of Elagabalus suggest that the Juno Regina issues were initiated in the earlier part of the reign, around 218 to 220 AD, establishing orthodox religious credentials before the more radical religious reforms surrounding Elagabal's cult dominated later mint output.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Survival

Denarii of RIC IV Elagabalus 237 entered active circulation throughout the provinces of the Roman Empire, as evidenced by their presence in third-century coin hoards across Britain, Gaul, the Rhine-Danube frontier, and the Near East. In major British and continental hoards, such as the Shapwick and Falkirk hoards, denarii of Elagabalus and the Severan Augustae routinely appear alongside earlier issues of Septimius Severus and Caracalla. Because the silver content of the denarius under Elagabalus was already reduced to under fifty percent, these coins circulated vigorously without immediate hoarding pressure relative to older, purer Flavian and Antonine silver. However, with the severe hyper-debasement of the antoninianus during the reigns of Decius, Valerian, and Gallienus between 249 and 268 AD, the remaining Severan denarii were progressively pulled from circulation, melted for bullion, or concealed in hoards. Surviving specimens of RIC 237 range from well-worn circulation pieces to sharp, mint-state examples preserved in early savings deposits.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 538-540
2. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire romain, Tome IV. p. 388, no. 3
3. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-132
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 48, no. 237
5. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 237. ric.4.el.237