Sucker for Elagabalus

I don't know why I keep buying these type coins. I'm a sucker for a "sandy patina" even though there is a reasonable chance that the patina comes from Max Factor. But, I do like the way it looks! AND, I don't have any other coins where "Europa is riding a bull with veil billowing"!

Plus the big E story is pretty crazy.

"... Elagabalus showed a disregard for Roman religious traditions and sexual taboos. He replaced the traditional head of the Roman pantheon,Jupiter, with the deity of whom he was high priest, Elagabal. He forced leading members of Rome's government to participate in religious rites celebrating this deity, over which he personally presided. Elagabalus was married as many as five times, lavished favours on male courtiers popularly thought to have been his lovers,[3][4] and was reported to have prostituted himself in the imperial palace. His behavior estranged the Praetorian Guard, the Senate, and the common people alike.

Amidst growing opposition, Elagabalus, just 18 years old, was assassinated and replaced by his cousin Alexander Severus on 11 March 222, in a plot formulated by his grandmother, Julia Maesa, and carried out by disaffected members of the Praetorian Guard."-wiki

Whats not to like?


Phoenicia, Sidon. Elagabalus. A.D. 218-222. AE 24 (24.1 mm, 9.95 g, 6 h). IM C M A ANTONINVS AVG, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / A-P / SID CO / METR, Europa riding bull right, veil billowing above. BMC 234; SNG Cop 259. Fine, sandy red patina.

 

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I recently got a cheap provincial of him too but will be sharing it later on.

Lovely red patina on yours.

 

Great coin! I love the Roman issues of Sidon.

 

I agree with Mat, lovely patina. Nice reverse too.

 

My only:

Elagabalus, AD 218-222
AE, 23mm, 6.41g; 12h; Nicaea, Bithynia
Obv.: M AVPH ANTΩNINOC AVG; Laureate head right
Rev.: N-IK-AI-E-[ΩN] beneath the masts of legionary standards; eagle facing, head right, wings spread, between two standards surmounted by capricorns.

I love the jade green patina. The whites are less obvious in hand.

 

My new one is about that green too. I just can't find much into on mine :/

 

That's a purty patina and I love the Europa reverse! I too am a sucker for all things Elagabalus. Here are the provincials of his in my collection:


PHOENICIA, Tyre. Elagabalus
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. Very Fine. Rare.


MOESIA INFERIOR, Nikopolis ad Istrum
Elagabalus, CE 218-222
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


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. Mionnet is the only work which lists this coin with a column on the left.


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


EGYPT, Alexandria. Elagabalus
year 5 (probably, although it might be year 2), CE 221/2
tetradrachm
Obv: AKAICAPMAAVPANTωNINOCEVCEB; laureate head right
Rev: head of Zeus Ammon right; L-E (most likely E; could be B, year 2)
Ref: Emmett 2961.5


SYRIA, Laodicea ad Mare. Elagabalus
Obv: LEDI-CEON; (IMP C M AVR ANTONINVS), Laureate head right
Rev: Turreted bust of Tyche in distyle arched shrine
Ref: BMC 101, Lindgren I 2100A
Overpriced little bronze found in a local antique shop.

 

somebody is reading my mind all the time?
just bought this one a hour ago..special type, I did not have, almost got them all now in tests.

 

It's like we enable each other...

Ditto. It was suggested by those much wiser I should send a picture of mine to Wildwinds. None there match mine.

 

This is killing me. I passed on an Elagabalus so I could buy a Gordian III and a few more modern-ish coins. Now I'm having second thoughts about not getting Elabagalus too, and this thread is making it worse. Thanks a lot guys. You are all enablers of the worst kind.

 

should I sent a few pictures of my Gordian III tets? than you get really confused, I think )

 

My favorite I bought last year at FUN. Here is a pic online I found, but its not nearly as nice as mine. I had to pay $600 for it, but its a nice, pleasant VF. The coin pictured has many defects.

What I like about the coin is its a picture of the Stone of Elagabal being driven to Rome, and its from Aelia Capitolina, (Jerusalem). To me, its just dripping with history. They are rare because supposedly only struck when the procession of the Stone was in town on its way to Rome.

 

(drool)... that's a type I'd love to have! The facing quadriga is fantastic. You don't have a picture of yours?

 

We often warn new people about how many more ancient types there are than they may have ever suspected. Perhaps we should mention that there are probably a hundred Provincial types for the third century rulers for every denarius type. Many of them are boring - what I call somebody standing there coins - but some of them are spectacular. Many of them simply do not exist in high grades and demand for less than spectacular low grade bronzes is not high in the slab-centered market. I am no more a fan on Elagabalus than any other of the rulers in the span of years but that doesn't mean I don't like his coins. I like way too many coins. All my Elagabalus coins are just somebody standing there or equally unthrilling. Maybe that is why I am not out there chasing more.
Marcianopolis

Nicopolis

Philippopolis


Antioch

Alexandria

Marcianopolis with Julia Maesa

 

great color and a great reverse!

i have several provincials from the E man, here's one i haven't posted for quite a while....

 

No, unfortunately I bought it from a dealer at FUN who did not have a photo of it on his website for me to steal. I thought it was the better of the two coins I bought that trip, but everyone at my ancient coin club drooled over the Commodus Pharos tet instead.

Its just in the SDB, anyone who wishes can photograph it! I just suck at it.

 

Send it to me. I'll photograph it. It may take a few years

 

WONDERFUL posts one and all !!!

My only two examples---a denarius and a Tet:

 

I would have IDed this as a Caracalla with portrait too young for Elagabalus in his year 3 but dated to year three of Septimius Severus but research suggest you are right since year 4 of the type also looks young but not quite this young. For me to be right I would need to know more certainly on what date Caesarea advanced the ET number and what date Caracalla was proclaimed Caesar. I believe he was made Caesar in December 195 and Year 4 would have begun in January 196 if Caesarea followed Septimius' plan of dating his reign from the accession of Pertinax on January 1.
http://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=1305986
Above is a year 2 Elagabalus. Is that portrait younger than your year 3? I would appreciate the opinion of those lurking who specialize in these.

 

+1

HADRIAN
AE 22
OBVERSE: Laureate head right
REVERSE: Europa riding bull right
Struck at Sidon, Phoenicia, 117/118 AD
8.9g, 22mm
BMC Phoenicia 225