Hello all, here is a scarce Elagabalus As new to my collection. I'm very happy to get it. As most know, brass and bronze coinage from the rein of Elagabalus minted in Rome is somewhat scarce. Please post your Elagabalus brass and bronze coins minted in Rome. Elagabalus (Augustus) Coin: VF Bronze As IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG - Bust of Elagabalus, horned, laureate, draped, cuirassed, right. PM TR P IIII COS III PP S C - Elagabalus, in Syrian priestly robes, standing right, sacrificing out of patera in right hand over lighted altar, holding club in left hand; behind altar, bull crouching; something in field, star Exergue: Mint: Rome (221 AD) Wt./Size/Axis: 12.13g / 24mm / 12h Rarity: Rare References: RIC IV 325 Sear 7611 Provenances: London Ancient Coins (LAC) Acquisition/Sale: London Ancient Coins (LAC) VCoins $0.00 12/19
Very nice As. Haven't seen too many examples of Elagabalus' copper, and the reverse is outstanding. I wonder which star is represented?
Per Curtis Clay: "The star apparently stood for his sun god, to whom the emperor was depicted sacrificing, and therefore it should have been placed before him...".
Quite. I don't have any Elagabalus bronzes minted in Rome. One wonders why these were so scant. However, there are plenty silver coins minted in Rome, and Roman provincial bronzes. I only have some of the latter. Large bronze Elagabalus 218-222, Antiochia ad Orontem. Vz. Laureate head right. Rev. Tyche of Antioch over a swimming river god Orontes, and under a ram running left. ANTIOCHEON MKOL. Delta-epsilon and S-C in field. SNG Copenhagen 251. 32.8 mm, 19.64 gr.
These are even more scarce than the As of Geta - this is the only one I've seen with a horn. Nice example!
I'm a fan of middle bronzes of the period, although mostly of Sev Alex. But I would love to have one of that type, nice score! And indeed hard to find. I think this earlier dupondius might be even scarcer. It's one of my favourite middle bronzes, although it deserves a better photo, the colour is off here (this is the auction photo): Here's a rare denarius where the engraver screwed this up... and may well have lost his head as a result!
I don't have any bronze to show but here's one of mine to go along with the awesome engraver's error that SA posted.
Nice coin. These Elagabalus imperial AEs do seem to be scarce. I lucked into an as a while back - not pretty, but I'm glad to have it. Elagabalus Æ As (c. 219-220 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate draped bust right / ADVENTVS AVGVSTI, SC below, emperor on horseback left, holding baton. RIC 341; Cohen 7; BMC 365. (11.75 grams / 25 mm) Here's a sestertius featuring Elagabalus' grandma Julia Maesa, the power behind the throne, at least for a while: Julia Maesa Æ Sestertius (Grandmother of Elagabalus) (218-222 A.D.) Rome Mint IVLIA MAESA AVGVSTA, diademed and draped bust right / PVDICITIA, Pudicitia seated right, holding scepter and drawing veil; S C in exergue. RIC 420 (Elagabalus); Banti 8. (16.64 grams / 29 mm)
Here is my star behind mentioned above... 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. The coin would certainly seem to be scarcer than the "Common" rating given in RIC would imply. No examples in RD, only one example on acsearch (this coin). No examples on Wildwinds (the RIC 87 there would appear to be in error). A standard star in front There was a star behind on this one but then they spotted it and corrected it....
That star placement variation is interesting, and it is very cool you have three of them - that is a nice grouping. I have one "wrong" star - to the right (behind) Sol. I read somewhere that this is in error because it was disrespectful to have the star behind the god/imperial figure. But I don't recall where I read that (on CT perhaps?) Here is mine - the star is faint enough that I am not sure if it is an actual star, or just the ghost of a star partially removed from the die: Elagabalus Denarius (221-222 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate draped bust right / P M TRP III COS III P P, Sol, radiate, advancing left raising hand, & holding whip, (faint) star to right. RIC 28, RSC 154, BMC 179. Note: star usually to left (2.80 grams / 18 mm)
There appear to be many choice denarii of Elagabalus sacrificing over an altar with a star in the field in CT member collections, so I'll pile on too . My coin is slightly different with Elagabalus facing right on the reverse.
Bronze Elagabalus NOT from Rome and NO Star RProv AE18mm 4.3g Elagabalus CE 218-222 Thrace Philippolis Moushmov 5423
I have another type variation too. Obv:- IMP ANTONINVS - PIVS AVG, laureate, horned, cuirassed and draped bust right Rev:- P M TR P IIII COS - III P P, emperor standing l., sacrificing out of patera over altar and holding club on left, star to right, two standards to right. Reference:- RIC 49. RSC 205
