Elagabalus Silver Denarius, RIC IV Elagabalus 150b

Monetary Context and Denominational Setting

During the reign of Elagabalus from 218 to 222 AD, the silver denarius operated as the foundational unit of accounting, tax remittance, and military disbursement across the Roman Empire. Under the earlier Severan rulers, the denomination underwent a decisive downward adjustment in intrinsic value. Septimius Severus substantially lowered the silver fineness of the denarius to roughly fifty percent around 194 to 197 AD. Caracalla later introduced the radiate double denarius, or antoninianus, in 215 AD, which created a dual-denomination silver system. While Macrinus briefly suspended antoninianus production, Elagabalus initially struck both denarii and antoniniani upon his accession in 218 AD, before antoninianus output was suspended again at Rome around 219 AD. As a result, the denarius reassumed central prominence in imperial silver minting during the majority of his reign. Analytical studies of Severan silver demonstrate that denarii of Elagabalus, including RIC IV 150b, typically maintain an alloy fineness of approximately forty to forty-six percent silver, with the remainder composed of copper and trace metallic impurities. Mean specimen weights cluster near 3.0 to 3.2 grams, continuing the reduced metallurgical trajectory of the late Severan epoch.

Production and Mint Organization

The catalogue type RIC IV Elagabalus 150b was produced at the principal imperial mint situated in Rome. Operating under centralized bureaucratic oversight, the mint at Rome was organized into distinct administrative workshops, or officinae, which divided production targets across diverse denominations and reverse themes. Blanks for the denarius were prepared by casting flans from debased molten silver alloys, which were then cold-adjusted or trimmed before being heated and hand-struck between engraved intaglio dies. The die axis for this issue follows the standard Roman imperial alignment, predominantly orienting near twelve o'clock or six o'clock, though slight rotational offsets are common due to manual coin production. Die studies of Severan denarii from Rome suggest that officinae operated concurrently, sharing obverse dies across related reverse types. The Rome mint was responsible for supplying mass-produced currency to Italy, the western provinces, and imperial frontier garrisons along the Rhine and Danube, operating at sustained volume throughout the four-year reign.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 150b presents a right-facing portrait of the youthful emperor. In this specific subtype, designated as variant 150b, the bust is depicted as both laureate and draped, viewed from the side or slightly from behind, leaving the chest adorned with classical imperial drapery. The laurel wreath symbolizes imperial victor status and sovereign authority, tied at the occiput with two ribbons falling gracefully along the back of the neck. The portrait captures Elagabalus in his adolescent years, characterized by smooth facial features, almond-shaped eyes, and tight curls of hair framing the forehead and temples. Severan court portraiture deliberately emphasized physiognomic continuity with Caracalla, reinforcing the official dynastic claim that Elagabalus was Caracalla's natural son. This stylistic connection served essential political ends, seeking immediate recognition and loyalty from legions stationed across the frontiers.

Reverse Iconography and Personification

The reverse iconography of RIC IV 150b is devoted to the Roman personification of Felicitas, standing and facing left. Felicitas is draped in a long stola that cascades to her feet, sometimes covered by a palla wrapped around her torso. In her right hand, she holds an upright winged caduceus, the ancient heraldic staff associated with peaceful diplomatic engagement, commercial harmony, and divine protection. In her left arm, she cradles a cornucopiae, the horn of plenty brimming with seasonal fruits and agricultural harvest. Together, the caduceus and cornucopiae express the twin virtues of peace and material abundance. In classical Roman religion and political philosophy, Felicitas embodied not merely subjective happiness, but the divinely sanctioned good fortune that guaranteed security, fertility, and economic welfare throughout the empire. By evoking these traditional symbols, the coin reassured Roman society of an uninterrupted return to golden-age conditions under Severan rule.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The epigraphic composition of RIC IV 150b consists of traditional Latin imperial titles on the obverse paired with an ideological motto on the reverse. The obverse legend reads IMP ANTONINVS AVG, fully unpunctuated or separated by minor interpuncts depending on the die engraver. This formula expands to Imperator Antoninus Augustus. By selecting the prestigious name Antoninus rather than his birth name Varius Avitus Bassianus, imperial propaganda anchored the regime within the admired lineage of Antoninus Pius, Marcus Aurelius, and Caracalla, projecting legitimate dynastic inheritance. The reverse legend reads TEMPORVM FELICITAS, translating as 'the happiness of the times' or 'felicity of the age'. This motto belongs to a traditional category of Severan reverse legends that announced the arrival of an era of restoration, prosperity, and civic rejoicing, carefully deflecting attention from the unconventional religious practices of the Emesene priesthood at the imperial court.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

In the standard reference classification of Roman Imperial Coinage, volume IV part 2, Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham categorized this issue under number 150. The catalogue distinguishes two portrait treatments: 150a features a laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust, whereas 150b presents a laureate and draped bust without the cuirass. The broader type belongs to the undated issues struck at Rome across Elagabalus's reign from 218 to 222 AD. Because the legend IMP ANTONINVS AVG lacks specific tribunician or consular numbers, chronological sub-division relies on portrait development, hoard evidence, and stylistic transitions. Early portraits from late 218 and 219 AD depict a noticeably younger boy with soft, rounded contours, while issues approaching 221 and 222 AD exhibit elongated facial features and occasionally faint sideburns. The TEMPORVM FELICITAS theme was struck alongside parallel issues dedicated to Fides Militum, Providentia, and Victoria, forming a cohesive thematic series designed to balance military allegiance with civilian prosperity.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Recovery

Denarii of type RIC IV 150b circulated broadly throughout the urban centers and frontier encampments of the Roman world. Major coin hoards recorded from Roman Britain, Gaul, the Rhine limes, and the Danubian provinces regularly contain specimens of this issue, often preserved alongside earlier Severan, Antonine, and late second-century issues. Because the Severan denarius maintained an alloy of around forty to fifty percent silver, it circulated freely alongside the coinage of Caracalla, Geta, and Severus Alexander without triggering widespread Greshamite hoarding until the catastrophic hyper-inflationary debasements of the mid-third century. During the sole reign of Gallienus and the subsequent monetary collapse of the 260s AD, older debased denarii were systematically withdrawn, melted down, or hidden away in substantial savings deposits. Surviving specimens recovered in modern archaeological contexts exhibit varying degrees of surface wear and silver leaching, reflecting protracted active utility in imperial marketplace exchange.

References

1. Coin Hoards and Hoarding in the Roman Empire. pp. 82-104
2. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reform of Nero to the Reform of Trajan Decius. pp. 598-615
3. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 556-558
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 150b. Type ric.4.el.150b
5. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 43, no. 150b