Julia Maesa Silver Denarius RIC IV Elagabalus 257

Monetary Context and Historical Setting

The emission of RIC IV Elagabalus 257 occurred during the Severan restoration, a period marked by profound dynastic reconfiguration following the assassination of Caracalla and the brief interlude of Macrinus. Julia Maesa, sister of the late empress Julia Domna, orchestrated the military uprising in Emesa that elevated her teenage grandson Elagabalus to the purple in AD 218. In recognition of her pivotal role as the political architect of the dynasty, Maesa was granted the title of Augusta. The imperial mint at Rome dedicated extensive coin series to the Severan imperial women, presenting them as pillars of imperial stability, piety, and dynastic endurance. Under Elagabalus, the silver denarius remained the everyday workhorse of imperial state finance and military remuneration, even as it operated within an increasingly strained monetary system. Decades of economic pressure and massive imperial expenditures had forced successive reductions in the metallic quality of the currency. Denarii produced under Elagabalus typically exhibited a fineness averaging roughly 40 to 45 percent silver, continuing the metallurgical trajectory initiated under Septimius Severus and Caracalla.

Mint Attribution and Production Standards

Numismatic scholarship securely attributes RIC IV Elagabalus 257 to the central imperial mint at Rome, where skilled engravers executed its portraiture and reverse allegorical program according to standard metropolitan conventions. Unlike the eastern provincial issues struck at Antioch or Syrian auxiliary workshops during the initial phase of Elagabalus's march to Rome, this issue exhibits the classic die cutting, fabric, and lettering characteristic of the capital's officinae. Struck from manually prepared flans between intaglio dies, these denarii were produced under broad weight standards typical of third-century Severan silver, generally clustering around 2.80 to 3.25 grams, though individual surviving specimens naturally exhibit variability due to standard minting tolerances, wear, and corrosion. Engravers maintained consistent control over metal alloy composition, using cupelled silver heavily diluted with copper. The dies were aligned generally along standard Roman vertical or slightly offset axes, and the coin flans demonstrate characteristic bevelled or irregular edges produced during flan casting and striking.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 257 features a mature, dignified right-facing portrait bust of Julia Maesa. In accordance with Severan court fashion, her hair is parted in the middle, dressed in broad, horizontal waves across the sides of the head, and turned up into a low, flat coil or braided plait at the back of the neck. The portrait conveys maturity, stern dignity, and quiet authority, contrasting sharply with the youthful, often exotic depictions of Elagabalus himself. Her drapery is arranged with multiple folds over the shoulders, emphasizing modest aristocratic decorum. Numismatists note subtle stylistic variations across different working dies, ranging from slightly tighter, more compact waves of hair to fuller, more elaborate plaits at the nape, reflecting the hands of multiple die engravers at the Rome mint working across several production cycles.

Reverse Iconography and Symbolism

The reverse iconography depicts Juno, Queen of the Gods and principal protector of Roman women and the state, standing turned toward the left in a graceful, classical posture. She is fully clothed in a draped stola and veil, attributes that emphasize sacred modesty and divine matronly dignity. In her extended right hand she holds a patera, a shallow sacrificial libation bowl used in religious offerings, symbolizing reciprocal piety between the imperial family and the divine realm. Her left hand supports a tall vertical sceptre, denoting celestial sovereignty and imperium. Standing on the ground to her left is a peacock, the traditional avian companion and sacred creature of Juno, portrayed with its tail lowered. This particular depiction of Juno Conservatrix—the divine preserver or protectress—constituted a focused prayer for celestial defense over Julia Maesa and the imperial court, directly linking the matriarch's welfare with the security and perpetuity of the empire.

Inscriptions and Epigraphy

The epigraphic layout of RIC IV Elagabalus 257 is succinct and formal, rendered in bold Roman capital lettering. The obverse legend reads IVLIA MAESA AVG, transcribed fully as Iulia Maesa Augusta. By omitting extensive patronymics or honorific titles, the inscription focuses entirely on her personal identity and exalted status as Augusta, a rank placing her on par with the most venerated imperial matriarchs in Roman history. The reverse legend bears the unpunctuated dedication IVNO CONSERVATRIX, invoking Juno the Preserver. The letters follow the outer beaded border, running clockwise from the lower left field. Die studies indicate minor epigraphic peculiarities typical of Severan die sinks, such as subtle variations in the spacing of the letterforms and slight adjustments in letter height to accommodate the head of the sceptre and the figure of the peacock.

Typology and Chronological Classification

Within the typology of Severan coinage, RIC IV Elagabalus 257 occupies an integral position among the issues struck for Julia Maesa at Rome during Elagabalus's reign from AD 218 to AD 222. The type is documented in Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham's classic volume of The Roman Imperial Coinage and maintained as a discrete entity in modern online corpora such as Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE). Although the reverse legend IVNO CONSERVATRIX was also employed on earlier denarii of Julia Domna and contemporaneous bronze denominations, RIC IV 257 defines specifically the silver denarius pairing this reverse with Maesa's draped portrait and IVLIA MAESA AVG obverse legend. Chronologically, the type was struck across the central years of the reign, forming part of a coordinated series celebrating traditional Roman deities alongside Pudicitia, Felicitas, and Pietas, designed to project an image of traditional Roman virtue in contrast to the controversial religious reforms pursued by the emperor.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Monetary Impact

Denarii of RIC IV Elagabalus 257 entered broad circulation throughout the provinces of the Roman Empire, as evidenced by their recurring presence in coin hoards from Britain, the Rhine-Danube frontier, and the Mediterranean basin. Hoard analysis demonstrates that silver coinage of Julia Maesa remained in general commercial use long after the assassination of Elagabalus and the accession of Severus Alexander in AD 222, as the state did not demonetize issues bearing her image. Instead, because Julia Maesa retained her Augusta title and subsequently received formal consecration upon her death, her coins continued to pass from hand to hand alongside other Severan denarii. Wear patterns observed in third-century hoards, such as the Shapwick and Dorchester deposits, show that these pieces circulated actively through the AD 240s and AD 250s, until the mid-century collapse of the silver denarius in favor of the double-denarius (antoninianus) ultimately forced their retirement into savings caches or the crucible for recasting.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 539-540
2. RIC IV Elagabalus 257 in Online Coins of the Roman Empire. ric.4.el.257
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 58, no. 257
4. Roman Coins and Their Values, Volume II: The Accession of Nerva to the Death of Caracalla. no. 7752