Roman Provincial (Antioch on the Orontes): bronze Æ20 of Elagabalus, ca. 218-222 AD Obverse: head of Elagabalus left. Reverse: large S C within wreath. Struck at Syrian Antioch on the Orontes River (now in modern Turkey). Bronze, 22 mm. Ex-David Connors, May 2020.
I recently got one of the mysterious "ΔЄ" instead of SC for Elagabalus. It isn't pretty but it was cheap: Elagabalus Æ 16 (c. 218-222 A.D.) Syria, Seleucis & PieriaAntiochia ad Orontem [IMP C M AVR ANTONINVS AVG?], laureate head right. / Large ΔЄ; star below; all within wreath. McAlee 799 (4.02 grams / 15 mm) Here is one with the more conventional SC reverse: Elagabalus Æ 18 (c. 218-222 A.D.) Syria, Seleucis & Pieria Antiochia ad Orontem A[YT K M AY[Ρ C ANTΩNINOC, laureate head right. / SC in wreath terminating in a star, Δ above, Є below. BMC 440; SNG Cop. 244. (4.87 grams / 18 mm) Finally, an ugly monster (32 mm), again with the ΔЄ: Elagabalus 8 Assaria Syria, Antioch ad Orontem (218-222 A.D.) [AYT K M AY A]NTΩNINOC CЄ, laureate head right / ANTIOXЄ[ΩN M KOL], Tyche seated left, god Orontes swimming at feet, ram running left above, Δ-Є & S-C across fields. BMC 461; Butcher 474. (16.98 grams / 32 mm)
Not Antioch, but I never pass up an opportunity to show off this glorius $0.73 Elagabalus cista mystica!
The ΔЄ has stimulated some discussion - here's an earlier thread, where zumbly quotes McAlee: "McAlee argues that the ΔЄ is abbreviation for "of the four Eparchies," with an eparchy being a subdivision of a province, of which Syria had four. The initials would indicate that the coinage was current in all four Eparchies, rather than merely in Antioch." https://www.cointalk.com/threads/elagabalus-ar-tetradrachm-of-antioch-from-frank.310901/
My new addition. I've only found one example so far and that didn't have any attribution. Much better in hand than image. I've narrowed the Obv as McAlee 790a.
@Al Kowsky Can I ask a favor of you? Can you check McAlee for me? I think this is either 777 variant or 786. McAlee 786 isn't a very good coin. Thank you in advance!
Ryan, All the small bronze coins illustrated of Elagabalus have very indistinct elements, making them difficult to attribute. Apparently they were struck in a very haphazard fashion . Your coin has a draped & cuirassed bust, unlike #777a,b, &c. Your coin looks more like 779b, with the wreath tied with a diamond.
@Al Kowsky Many thanks. I hope the kids took my "Father's Day" list to heart. If not then I'll be making the CNG book my present to myself! I agree, there are a lot of variances. I am more interested in the younger portraits as they appear to be more realistic in style. That could be due to many different facotrs- like falling out of favor with the Roman citizens or Roman's needing to see a "strong" looking portrait (even if not real) for confidence! This series is a start to a collection that I am working on: Child Emperors. This was driven by a review of the following book. https://oxford.universitypressschol...o/9780199664818.001.0001/acprof-9780199664818 Thanks again! Ryan
Ryan, The book you listed sounds like a great read . I've often reflected on how I would have adjusted to the situation these kids found themselves in, suddenly becoming the emperor of Rome . The reality must have been frightening at first. At least we are lucky to get an accurate picture of what these kids looked like on Roman coinage before Diocletian's monetary reform of the late 3rd century. The post reform coinage made a radical change in portraiture . Realism gave way to a new stylized portrait of uniformity & strength, often referred to as the "Eastern style". Individual features vanished, so the only way emperors & their family can be identified is by the inscription on their coins. Your small bronze coin has an excellent, realistic portrait of Elagabalus. I've got one excellent portrait coin of the young prince at the age of 13 or 14 that I've posted a number of times, pictured below. I'm confident this portrait is realistic since it was struck in the city of his birth.
Well, the book didn't come for Father's Day! But did make it for the 4th of July! Many thanks to @Al Kowsky for sharing yours! Now, that I have the book I am finding that the auction houses really don't do a good job with attribution! They are 0-5 right now. That forced me to reprint all my coin tags. At least they are correct now. BTW- Here's a newbie I add recently.. a very nice coin with a rarer wreath type. McAlee 783(b)/1
This one I can't find in McAlee or the CNG supplementals.. I come close with McAlee 792/1 The legend does not match. The wreath is the only example in the series that has the laurel wreath joined together like this. To me, it appears like two links. Any help is appreciated.
regarding your Elagabalus, while researching his coins with large SC, here I found https://sites.google.com/site/provincialcoins/antioch that this reverse: Large Delta and epsilon with star below in a laurel-wreath. The diameter is 19.5 mm and is 3.71 g, die axis 180 deg. Reference: SGI 3098, BM-447-50, SNG Cop-248-9, ex Harlan J. Berk. As far as I can tell, according to Butcher (p.233-236, 384) and Bellinger, this coin was probably minted at Laodicea ad Mare rather than at Antioch.