Happy Death Anniversary, Elagabalus!

This Elagabalus denarius arrived a couple of weeks ago, but I only managed to take a satisfactory pic of it yesterday. I thought it would make for a good post today seeing as it's our favorite flamboyant teen emperor's death anniversary. On 11 March 222, at the age of eighteen, Elagabalus was assassinated by members of the Praetorian Guard, and just like that, Rome became a much less interesting city.

Please share your coins of Elagabalus!

ELAGABALUS
AR Denarius. 3.38g, 18.8mm. Rome mint, AD 218-222. RIC 56. O: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. R: ABVNDANTIA AVG, Abundantia standing left, emptying cornucopia; to right, star.

And in keeping with my coin reverse's theme of abundance...


The Roses of Heliogabalus by Sir Lawrence Alma-Tadema (1888). A scene inspired by a tale told in Historia Augusta, where Elagabalus has a storm of flowers descend upon his banquet guests, smothering some of them to death.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Darn @zumbly , that is one fine Elagabalus denarius. The toning is superb. I'm jealous. If you ever decide to part with that one, please let me know beforehand. I'm a huge fan of toned silver.

All I have to show is this one, which is not as nice as yours, being a little too shinny for my tastes, but I did get a good price on it so I guess that's something.

 

Happy Deathday, little man!

Great coin, Z . The portrait is unusual and interesting, the devices sharp, the toning lovely, and the type uncommon. Fabulous!


Elagabalus
AR denarius, 19.4 mm, 3.5 gm
Antioch, 218-219 CE
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate draped cuirassed bust right
Rev: SANCT DEO SOLI / ELAGABAL, Quadriga right, bearing sacred Baetyl stone, flanked by four parasols
Ref: RIC IV 195
Vauctions 310, lot 250 (25 Sept 2014)
ex CNG Mail Bid Sale 33, lot 914 (15 March 1995)


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Elagabalus
CE 218-222
AE29, 13.4 gm
Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: Dido building Carthage; she stands to front before the arched gate of the city, looking left, holding a rule and transverse sceptre; above the gate, a mason at work, [below, a man digging with pick]; murex shell in upper field, palm tree to right
Ref: Rouvier 2375; BMC 409; AUB 245; Price & Trell 748


EGYPT, Alexandria. Elagabalus
tetradrachm, 24 mm, 13.27 gm
regnal year 4
Obv: laureate head right
Rev: Elagabalus standing right and empress (Aquilia Severa) standing left, each holding scepter, clasping right hands; L ∆ across field
Ref: Köln –; Dattari (Savio) 4098; K&G 56.43; Emmett 2929.4 (R4)


MOESIA INFERIOR. Marcianopolis. Elagabalus (218-222)
AE 17, 2.5 gm
Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNINOC; laureate head right.
Rev: MAPKIANOΠOΛITΩN; Telesphorus standing facing.
Ref: Varbanov 1422.


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Elagabalus
Æ 26 mm, 12.5 gm
CE 218/9, Novius Rufus, consular legate
Obv: ...ΠΗ ANTΩNEINOC΄ laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus right
Rev: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKO[ΛOΛITΩN ΠPOC IC TP]; Athena standing left before serpent coiled around olive tree to left; shield on ground behind her
Ref: Hristova & Jekov 8.26.4.7 (same as last illus. Specimen); Varbanov 3906 (same dies as illus.); Moushmov 1384


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum. Elagabalus
AE 18 mm, 2.8 gm
Obv: AVT K M AVP ANTΩNINOC, laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: NIKOΠOΛITΩ NΠPOCICTPO N, Priapus standing left, drawing back his cloak to expose his phallus, bowl of fruit balanced on phallus, right hand extended pouring from patera
Ref: Varbanov 3811, AMNG 2022 (I own neither of those references and cannot verify the numbers)



Elagabalus
AR denarius, 2.4g, 19mm, 6h; Antioch mint.
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG; Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
Rev.: TEMPORVM FEL; Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and patera.
Reference: RIC IVb 201, p. 44.
ex Doug Smith Collection #527


MESOPOTAMIA, Edessa. Elagabalus
AE27, 15 gm
Obv: AVT K M A ANTΩNEINOC; radiate cuirassed bust left, holding shield and raising right hand.
Rev: AVP ........ EΔECCA; Tyche seated left on rock, holding corn ears; to left a column surmounted by a statue of Marsyas, river god swimming right at feet
Ref: Mionnet supplement 8, 26. Rare.


Elagabalus
AR denarius, Rome mint. Struck CE 221-222. 3.55 gm
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; laureate and draped bust right, with “horn” on forehead
Rev: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB; Elagabalus standing right, holding club and sacrificing from patera over lighted altar; star to right; faint star in left field (likely engraved and then mostly removed by grinding the field).
Ref: RIC IV 131; Thirion 302; RSC 246


MOESIA INFERIOR. Nikopolis ad Istrum
Elagabalus , CE 218-222
AE 26 mm, 11.1 gm
Obv: AYT K M AYP ANTΩNEINOC. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right
Rev: VΠ NOBIOV POVΦOV NIKOΠOΛITΩN ΠPOC ICTPON. River-god reclining right, holding branch; prow at side
Ref: Varbanov 4055
ex Falter Collection, Nature Gods

 

This is one my favorite Elagabalus coins... I wish my photos were better as the portrait artistry is nice and better than is portrayed here.


Elagabalus AE 27 (4 Assaria) of Markianopolis. Magistrate Seleucus.
AVT K M AVRHLI ANTWNEINOC AVG (AVG ligate), laureate, draped, cuirassed bust right.
VP IOVL ANT CELEVKOV MARKIANOPOLITW, Homonoia standing left, holding patera and cornucopiae. Varbanov 1495

 

Thanks. It was a Frank Robinson auction win and with Frank's pictures you often have to guess at the colour and toning. These were his pics of the coin...



His descriptions are always helpful in that regard - "Choice EF, well centered & struck, good metal with rich old toning; superb sharp portrait"

 

WOW! Well, that certainly makes me more likely to participate in one of his mail bid sales!

 

Definitely abit of an unusual style! It had me looking at Elagabalus portraits all afternoon. I wonder the die worker had been a recent arrival from the provinces.

 

Not so nice coins but fun anyway...

He may not have been a great emperor but he was unique... and I like those who are not like others. Way to be your weird self little Gabby... If I was Bill/Ted, I'd probably come visit to see for myself.

Elagabalus Campgate!

Elagabalus AE21 of Nikopolis ad Istrum.
AY K M AYR ANTWNINOC, radiate, draped and cuirassed bust right.
NIKOPOLITWN PROC I-CTRON, city gate with two round towers and open doorway. Moushmov 1391; Varbanov 3827; AMNG 2017.

Elagabalus Moesia Inferior Marcianopolis
Obverse: AVT K M AVP ANTWNINOC - laureate head right
Reverse: MARKIANOPOLITWN - three stars in crescent moon
2.50g / 15mm /
Moushmov 648v

 

I remain a fan of the Eastern denarii but have no new ones to show since previous threads. Recycled favotites:


There are always Alexandria mint coins that seem to have a special appeal to me but mine are just standing figure types of no special appeal.
Year 4 Dikaiosyne


Year 5 Serapis

 

haha! dang TIF..i can tell you REALLY don't like him by...how many coins(?)..you've got of him ^^

 

Recycled favorites:

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.

Denarius (wearing a "horn"):


Elagabalus, AD 218-222
Roman AR Denarius; 18.3 mm, 3.20 gm
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right, with horn on top of his head, signifying divine power
REV: SACRD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus, in priestly robes, standing right, sacrificing over altar and holding cypress branch, star in field, right
Refs: RIC 131; BMCRE 225; Cohen 246; RCV 7542.

Provincial with grandma:


Elagabalus, Augustus AD 218-222, with grandmother, Julia Maesa, Augusta AD 218-224/5
Roman provincial Æ pentassarion, 14.55 g, 28.4 mm, 12:00
Moesia Inferior, Marcianopolis, under Legate Julius Antonius Seleucus, AD 218-222
Obv: ΑVΤ Κ Μ ΑVΡΗ ΑΝΤΩΝΕΙΝΟC ΙΟVΛΙΑ ΜΑΙCΑ ΑVΓ, confronted busts of Elagabalus and Maesa
Rev: VΠ ΙΟVΑ ΑΝΤ CΕΛΕVΚΟV ΜΑΡΚΙΑΝΟΠΟΛΙ-ΤΩΝ, Dikaiosyne standing left, holding scales and cornucopiae; E (5) in field, right
Refs: Moushmov 674; AMNG 962; Varbanov 1620; Mionnet S. 2, 101, 273; similar to BMC 3. 36, 63.

And, in the spirit of @zumbly 's thread, a related piece of art, Aurelio Aureli and Francesco Cavalli's baroque-period opera, Eliogabalo:



And a few paintings -- Leo Reiffenstein, Ein Gastmahl des Heliogabal:



Simeon Solomon, Heliogabalus, High Priest of the Sun:



Anselm Kiefer, Heliogabal:



And last, but not least, a poem -- Frank Manley's ‘Heliogabalus’:

 

i've had for some time an Ae 26 Roman provincial of him and managed last year to get a purdy nice denarius of the boy emperor, royal stoner..(the meteor, another coin which i'd like to have also)

 

Awesome coins everyone!

If ever I branch into another speciality, Elagabalus silver would be the one. The area seems like it has untapped potential with uncrowded competition.

 

I've shared it before, but here's a provincial of Elagabalus from Berytus (Beirut), featuring Marsyas in a temple on the reverse:

 

The Egregious Elagabalus:
Portraits of a disgusting individual, His Mother, and Grandmother... and yeah a Wife(?)

RProv AE18mm 4.3g Elagabalus CE 218-222 Thrace Philippolis Moushmov 5423


RI Elagabalus 218-222 CE AR Antoninianus Radiate Roma seated

Wife(?)

RI Julia Aquilia Severa 220-222 CE AE 4th Wife Elagabalus

This Little Monster was the PRODUCT of these Women
(and Rome Allowed it!...for a little while)
Fitting End to Mommy and Son:

RI Julia Soaemias 218-222 CE AR Den Venus Caelestis star RIC IV 241

Scheming Grandmother:

RI Julia Maesa AR Denarius Pudicitia 3.1g 19mm Sear 2183

 

..according to wiki, she was the one that devised the scheme to do away with Elag. and replace him with his cousin SA.

 

Antioch Tet which I really like...

 

My Elagabalus denarius, gifted to me from @Sallent



And the ruins of a temple built by Elagabalus in Rome.

 

a very nice coin gift from big O and super kool pictures man.