Elagabalus Antoninianus

My latest acquisition, from our very own @John Anthony . What's special about this coin is that it's the last issue of an Antoninianus--a denomination introduced by Elagabalus' cousin-once-removed, Caracalla, in AD 215--until reintroduced by Balbinus in the "year of the six emperors," AD 238.


Elagabalus, AD 218-222
Roman AR Antoninianus; 5.17 g, 21.3 mm
Rome, AD 219
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS AVG, radiate and draped bust, right
Rev: P M TR PII COSII P P, Fortuna enthroned left, holding rudder on globe and cornucopiae; wheel below seat
Refs: RIC 18; BMCRE 94; Cohen 148; RCV 7495

 

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Nice pick up, especially one of the first coins to show a wheel chair......

 

Here's an antoninianus of Aurelian with a Fortuna reverse that really looks like a wheelchair!

 

nice egal antoni! haha! O shame! but i thought the very same thing about this unidentified and uncleaned one i have. i remember thinking when i 1st got it long ago, why are they showing a person ina wheelchair.. (duh, wheelchairs weren't invented until the 19th century.. or were they?!)

 

All my Elagabalus Ants. are earlier issues. This one is my favourite amongst them. I haven't paid them much notice for some time. I need to dig them out. Thanks for the reminder.

 

Nice addition @Roman Collector

I don't have any antoninianus of his (just one for Caracalla), but I can throw in Martin's ant lil' brother


Elagabalus, Denarius Rome mint, ca AD 218-219
IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right
MARS VICTOR, Mars advancing right
3.49 gr
Ref : Cohen # 109v, RCV # 7526, RIC # 123

Q

 

Yours is nicer than mine.

 

Elagabalus
AR Denarius. 19mm, 2.55g.
Rome Mint 218-222 CE.
Obverse: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, horned, laureate and draped bust right, horn at peak of bust.
Reverse: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus standing right, sacrificing over lighted altar, holding patera and club; star in right field.
RIC: 131, RSC 246.

 

@Sallent I'm no expert on the coinage of Elagabalus, but isn't the horn usually connected to the Emperor's head? On this example it just like a dot above his head, was there a process by which the horn evolved on the coinage? Just wondering what to make of this example.

 

RI Elagabalus 218-222 CE AR Antoninianus Radiate Roma seated

 

The horn certainly is attached and I suspect that in the example above it is largely lost due to die clogging.

I have many "horned" examples. Here is one for comparison.

Elagabalus denarius

Obv:– IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev:– INVICTVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing holding patera over an altar and branch. Star in right field. Horn on ground to his left
Minted in Rome. A.D. 222
Reference– BMC 209 note. RIC 87 (where it is rated Common citing Cohen). RSC III 58. Cohen 58 (illustrated with star in right field) valued at 50 Fr. No examples in RD.
ex Numismatica Ars Classica NAC AG Sale 42, Lot 379, 20th November 2007, ex Barry Feirstein Collection, previously privately purchased from Harlan J. Berk.
Described as Lightly toned and good extremely fine by NAC.
21 mm. 3.11 gms. 0 degrees.

 

That's a sweet addition! Numismatically of interest too. What more can you ask for?

 

Nice example, I like the toning of it.


Elagabalus (218-222 A.D.)
AR Antonianus
O: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG" Radiate and draped bust right.
R: VICTOR ANTONINI AVG"
Victory running right, holsing wreath and palm.
Rome Mint
22mm
4.54g
RIC 155
Ex Vauctions 368 (Beast Coins), Lot # 158

 

I couldn't agree more!!!

WOW !! great posts!!!

I don't have any 'wheel-chair' types and I'll refrain from posting my 'Galley denarius' again.....

Dang, I need more coins of this dude

 

You know, if I didn't specialise in Flavian coins I would systematically collect the coinage of Elagabalus. It seems like an area of Roman numismatics in need of more specialists.

 

Speaking of wheelchairs, in an episode of "Out of the Mouths of Babes," when my youngest daughter was 3 or 4, we were looking for a parking space at the grocery store and she said, "Look, there's some!" I said, "Honey, those are for handicapped people." She folded her hands across her chest and said, "Hmph. Handicapped people have all the luck."

Anyway, Fortuna is not always in a wheelchair - here she is on a denarius of Trajan...

 

I have posted these before but what the heck... an Elagabalus Antoninianus and a Denarius respectively.

 

Questions were raised about my Elagabalus' horn. Yes, it is there, but probably due to a clogged die (as someone suggested) the horn is weak and appears like a little blob on top of his head.

However, the superb portrait more than compensates for that. Isn't that one cool Elagabalus portrait?

 

Like those wheelchairs , here's an Elagabalus / Providentia: