Elagabalus Silver Denarius, RIC IV Elagabalus 162

Monetary Context and Historical Significance

The emission catalogued as RIC IV Elagabalus 162 forms part of the principal silver denomination issued during the reign of Varius Avitus Bassianus, recognized formally on imperial coinage as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. By the accession of Elagabalus in AD 218, the Roman monetary system was anchored by the denarius alongside the double-denarius or antoninianus, which had been introduced under Caracalla around AD 215. Although Caracalla and Macrinus struck substantial quantities of the radiate antoninianus, Elagabalus largely phased out its production in Rome early in his reign, refocusing regular imperial output onto the traditional laureate denarius. Severan monetary policy continued the gradual debasement initiated under Septimius Severus, maintaining an average silver content hovering between 40 and 46 percent, accompanied by a targeted gross mass of approximately 3.0 to 3.2 grams. Denarii of this period satisfied state obligations, including payments to the legions, bureaucratic stipends, and imperial distributions. By issuing a standard victory type within this established framework, the imperial court sought to project an image of military capability and uninterrupted dynastic succession.

Production and Mint Attribution

Production of RIC IV Elagabalus 162 is securely assigned to the imperial mint at Rome, which served as the administrative and technological hub of official coinage in the West. Operating under the direction of the procurator monetae, the Rome mint utilized multiple workshops, or officinae, to supply consistent streams of silver currency. Silver blanks were produced by casting flans in open molds, resulting in the irregular, slightly oval perimeters and occasional flan cracks typical of third-century Roman striking techniques. Dies were manually engraved by skilled celators who adhered to standard imperial iconography while exhibiting minor stylistic variations across individual die pairings. Striking was performed using hot flans placed between an anvil die and a hand-held punch die. Metallurgical analyses of contemporary Rome-mint denarii indicate careful monitoring of alloy composition despite debasement, combining silver with copper to ensure durability in general trade. While Eastern mints such as Antioch also produced silver issues for Elagabalus, the engraving style, fabric, and specific legend layout of RIC IV 162 clearly anchor its production to the central capital.

Obverse Design and Portraiture

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 162 features a right-facing bust of the emperor, laureate and draped. The youthful portrait conveys the idealized imperial likeness adopted upon his arrival in Rome, depicting short cropped curls crowned by the triumphal laurel wreath whose ties hang neatly behind the neck. Draping is rendered across the shoulders and chest, showing the fabric folds of the paludamentum or cuirass with mantle, executed with standard Severan plastic relief. The portrait captures the juvenile features of the princeps, who was only fourteen years old at his accession. Unlike late issues that feature an elongated horn or stone-like phallic attribute associated with the rites of Elagabal, this type presents a conventional portrait of traditional Roman military authority. Die engraving variations occur in the treatment of facial proportions, the density of the wreath foliage, and the precise arrangement of mantle drapery, reflecting multiple working dies across the Rome officinae without departing from the prescribed catalogue definition.

Reverse Iconography and Style

The reverse iconography depicts Victoria, the divine personification of Victory, advancing rapidly to the right. She is shown winged and draped, her garments fluttering behind her to convey swift forward motion. In her outstretched right hand, she holds a circular laurel wreath, the timeless Greco-Roman symbol of military triumph and civic achievement. In her left hand, she supports a long palm branch sloped backward over her left shoulder, indicating enduring peace gained through successful conflict. Her bare feet lightly touch the implied groundline, and her wings are rendered with detailed horizontal feathering across the primary flight feathers. This dynamic motif was a classic staple of Roman numismatic tradition, repeatedly deployed by the Severan emperors to reinforce the divine mandate of the reigning Augustus. Within the typology of Elagabalus, the motif underscores imperial triumph in a generic, continuous sense rather than marking a single documented military campaign.

Epigraphy and Legends

The inscriptions on RIC IV Elagabalus 162 are rendered in clear Roman monumental script, following the established imperial epigraphic conventions of the early third century AD. The obverse legend reads IMP ANTONINVS AVG, broken smoothly around the upper circumference of the coin flan. This formulation combines the military imperatorial acclamation (Imperator), the prestigious adoptive dynastic surname (Antoninus), and the constitutional imperial title (Augustus), deliberately invoking the beloved memory of Caracalla and Marcus Aurelius. The reverse inscription reads VICTORIA AVG, abbreviating Victoria Augusti (Victory of the Emperor). The legend serves as an explanatory dedication, attributing the virtues and fruits of victory directly to the ruling emperor. Letter forms demonstrate square, upright carving with slight serifs on the verticals. The absence of specific tribunician numbers, consulships, or imperial acclamation tallies gives the legend an undated, durable character that could remain in active production over several calendar years.

Typology and Chronological Classification

In the standard classification established by Harold Mattingly and Edward A. Sydenham in Roman Imperial Coinage, RIC IV Elagabalus 162 is grouped among the undated Rome-mint denarii spanning the entirety of the reign from AD 218 to AD 222. Because the legends omit iterative tribunician titles (TR P), dating relies on stylistic evolution, hoard horizons, and portrait development. Early emissions struck in Rome between AD 218 and 219 often exhibit slightly heavier portrait relief reminiscent of Caracalla, while intermediate and later emissions from AD 220 to 222 show a somewhat leaner, mature facial structure. RIC IV 162 is closely linked to companion types featuring Victoria advancing left (such as RIC IV 161) or Victory flying between standards. It also parallels contemporary aurei and bronze sestertii utilizing the same VICTORIA AVG motif. Nuances in bust dress, such as drapery visible only from behind or cuirassed elements, represent minor engraver choices rather than distinct catalogue types under Mattingly and Sydenham's classification.

Circulation Patterns and Archaeological Context

Denarii of the RIC IV 162 type entered an empire-wide commercial and fiscal circulation system dominated by Severan silver. Hoard evidence from Roman Britain, the Rhine frontier, and the Danubian provinces demonstrates that denarii of Elagabalus circulated alongside surviving Flavian, Antonine, and earlier Severan issues. Because their silver fineness matched the standard established during the joint reign of Septimius Severus and Caracalla, these coins did not suffer preferential hoarding under Gresham's Law, circulating freely until the massive inflationary crisis and severe debasements of the mid-third century AD. In major hoard deposits such as the Shapwick and Dorchester hoards, denarii of Elagabalus appear in modest proportions relative to those of Septimius Severus, reflecting both the brevity of his four-year reign and the focused output of the Rome mint. Surviving specimens show degrees of wear ranging from nearly uncirculated to heavily worn, attesting to decades of secondary circulation before final concealment during the turbulent decades of the AD 250s and 260s.

References

1. The Metallurgy of Roman Silver Coinage: From the Reforms of Nero to the Reform of Trajan Decius. pp. 570-585
2. Coinage in the Roman Economy, 300 B.C. to A.D. 700. pp. 125-132
3. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. pp. 37-39, no. 162
4. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 162. Type ric.4.el.162