Julia Maesa Silver Quinarius, RIC IV Elagabalus 273

Monetary Context and Severan Denominational Structure

During the reign of Elagabalus (AD 218 to AD 222), the Roman imperial silver coinage was anchored predominantly by two denominations: the traditional silver denarius and the double denarius (antoninianus), which had been introduced under Caracalla in AD 215. Within this established monetary hierarchy, the silver quinarius represented a half-denarius unit. Although the quinarius possessed deep republican and Augustan roots, by the third century AD it had become a comparatively marginal denomination in daily marketplace transactions, struck intermittently rather than continuously. Fractional silver issues under the Severan emperors were frequently produced in limited quantities, often coinciding with ceremonial occasions, imperial accessions, consular celebrations, or cash donatives. The issue of RIC IV Elagabalus 273 in the name of Julia Maesa highlights the official rank accorded to the Augusta, who was instrumental in elevating her grandson to the purple. While the silver purity and weight standard of the contemporary denarius hovered near 40 to 45 percent fineness and an average weight around 3.0 to 3.2 grams, theoretical quinarius standards target half that weight, typically yielding surviving pieces in the range of 1.2 to 1.6 grams, subject to natural production variance and wear.

Mint Production and Workshop Operations at Rome

RIC IV Elagabalus 273 was struck exclusively at the principal imperial mint in Rome. Although an active eastern mint operated at Antioch (and possibly other auxiliary facilities) during the initial months of Elagabalus's reign following his uprising in Syria, the distinct stylistic execution, die treatment, and imperial titular patterns of this quinarius align securely with the central workshops of the capital. Mint workers produced blanks through batch casting, creating small flans that were subsequently hand-struck between paired obverse and reverse iron dies. The execution of Julia Maesa's portrait reveals the refined hand of seasoned urban engravers, distinguishing it from the cruder provincial silver emissions of the eastern frontier. Because fractional silver required smaller dies and specialized production batches, output volumes were significantly restricted compared to the vast runs of denarii struck for the Augusta. Die-axis orientations across Roman imperial silver of this period generally favor an upright or inverted alignment, although variations occur due to manual striking practices.

Obverse Portraiture and Dynastic Presentation

The obverse of RIC IV Elagabalus 273 presents a right-facing, draped bust of Julia Maesa. Her coiffure embodies the distinctive court fashion pioneered by the Severan empresses: long hair combed into horizontal, undulating waves, pulled downward, and folded upward into a wide, flat chignon pinned securely at the nape of the neck. Engravers rendered Maesa's mature, dignified facial profile with individualized features, acknowledging her status as the matriarch and political architect of the restored dynasty. The drapery gathers gracefully at her shoulder and neck, leaving the profile clean and prominent. Framing the bust is the legend running clockwise from the lower left: IVLIA MAESA AVG. Unlike full denarius issues that occasionally feature crescent drapery or distinct bust variants, the recorded quinarius type adheres strictly to this classic right-facing draped configuration.

Reverse Iconography: Felicitas and the Imperial Altar

The reverse iconography of RIC IV Elagabalus 273 displays Felicitas, the divine personification of good fortune and imperial prosperity, standing draped and turned slightly toward the left. In her right hand, she extends a patera to pour a libation over a lighted altar standing on the ground before her, signifying piety and continuous divine favor. Her left arm cradles a long caduceus, the ancient attribute of harmony, peace, and commercial abundance. In the upper-left field, an eight-pointed star is clearly engraved. In Severan numismatics, the inclusion of a celestial star often evokes solar or astral symbolism closely linked to the Syrian deities favored by the imperial household, while simultaneously serving as an internal mint or series marker. The complete scene translates imperial religious observance into an assurance of general well-being for the Roman state under the patronage of the imperial dynasty.

Inscriptions and Epigraphic Analysis

The inscriptions on RIC IV Elagabalus 273 are concise, formal, and emblematic of the official Severan administrative style. The obverse reads IVLIA MAESA AVG, an abbreviated formulation for 'Iulia Maesa Augusta'. The title Augusta, formally conferred upon her following the defeat of Macrinus in AD 218, proclaimed her supreme female status within the imperial hierarchy. On the reverse, the legend SAECVLI FELICITAS wraps around the standing figure. Translating to 'Happiness of the Age' or 'Prosperity of the Century', this formulaic legend celebrated the dawn of an auspicious new era under the restored line of Septimius Severus and Caracalla. Letterforms exhibit standard imperial Roman capitals with prominent serifs, scaled down expertly to fit within the constricted circumference of the quinarius flan without truncating the traditional legend.

Typological Classification and Chronological Placement

Within the standard cataloguing scheme of Roman Imperial Coinage, this specific reverse combination with Julia Maesa's obverse constitutes RIC IV Elagabalus 273. It directly parallels the much more common denarius series catalogued as RIC IV Elagabalus 271 and 272. Dating precisely within the AD 218 to AD 222 window of Elagabalus's reign, the type cannot be assigned to an exact calendar year through consular or tribunician numbers, as female imperial issues lacked magistrates' epigraphic dating. However, numismatists associate the SAECVLI FELICITAS reverse motif with the middle to late periods of the reign, following the arrival of the imperial court in Rome in the summer of AD 219. The quinarius denomination was produced in noticeably smaller batches than the denarius counterparts, ensuring that RIC 273 remains one of the more elusive fractional issues of the third century.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Monetary Role

Because silver quinarii were struck in modest numbers and represented half the value of a regular denarius, they functioned differently from everyday circulating coinage. Archaeological finds and hoard data across the Western provinces and Italy demonstrate that quinarii occur in hoards far less frequently than standard denarii or antoniniani. When they do appear, they are often clustered within larger savings deposits or military payments, suggesting that recipients stored them alongside full-value denominations rather than immediately dispersing them in rapid retail trade. Over time, the metallic content of third-century silver experienced gradual debasement, leading earlier, finer silver pieces to be hoarded or melted down under Gresham's Law. Consequently, specimens of RIC IV Elagabalus 273 surviving into modern collections are scarce, reflecting low initial mintage figures coupled with standard attrition through centuries of monetary circulation and recoinage.

References

1. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. V: Pertinax to Elagabalus. pp. 574-577
2. Roman Coins from the Earliest Times to the Fall of the Western Empire. pp. 120-135
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC IV Elagabalus 273. ric.4.el.273
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV, Part II: Macrinus to Pupienus. p. 61, no. 273