“Horned” Elagabalus denarius

Star in right field (apparently a mistake).



Detail on the reverse. Is there a horn? I think so. (Also apparently I need to clean a bit of crud off the coin...)


Regarding the merits and demerits of Elagabalus, I really must very strongly object to the fact that he tried to arrange the death of his cousin, Severus Alexander!!

Here's poor little SA while his meanie cousin was still alive. (Apparently he only reluctantly agreed to give SA the title of Caesar when his grandmother insisted on it. This may be the significance of Indulgentia on the reverse.)

Presumably this is a reference to the god rather than to the emperor? Still, I now have "ELAGAB" envy. Fantastic coin, @Shea19!

 

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LOL !!!

 

I would agree. It was name of the Syrian sun god represented by the meteorite. I am also jealous of the coin type.

I wish I had more pics of my coins. I have a REALLY pretty Aelia Capitolina Emesa Stone in quadriga I bought some years ago at FUN. It is one of my favorite coins. It is gVF. I have seen the type other places, but never such high grade, (Jerusalem soil is tough on copper coins).

 

Send it to me and I will photograph it for you. And send it back. (Sometime... )

 

Nice coins in this thread. Mine's a little cruddy, but Elagabalus has a horn, so I'll pile it on:



Elagabalus Denarius
(218-222 A.D.)
Rome Mint
IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG laureate, draped, horned bust r., SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus, in priestly robes standing right, sacrificing over altar, holding patera and club star with long tail in field
RIC 131; RSC 246; Sear 7542.
(2.49 grams / 18 mm)

 

Thanks! Yes, this is definitely a reference to the god and not the emperor, but I’ll take it. I don’t believe that the emperor got this “nickname” until after he died.

Excellent coins everyone, thanks all for sharing. Some beautiful examples in this thread.

 

I like Julian the Apostate’s nickname for him best - “the pretty boy from Emesa”.

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 (or Annona) standing left, emptying cornucopia; to left, star.

 

Here's another one - this has the star in the right field, as a couple others in this thread have (including TIF's which has been erased). Mine is rather faint, though I'm not sure it qualifies for an erasure attempt.

Having your back to the star is disrespectful, I gather? New guy at the mint.



Elagabalus Denarius
(220 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 28b; RSC 154; BMC 179.
Note: star usually to left.
(2.80 grams / 18 mm)

I've been updating my Elagabalus attributions, which are a bit spotty. While looking around online for this one (mine is RIC 28b), I found an interesting variation - RIC 28d, draped and cuirassed. OCRE notes it, but has no examples, so I am guessing it is fairly scarce. Elagabalus in armor - kinky!

http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.4.el.28d

While poking around online I found this example from Romae Aeternae Numismatics that is (I think) incorrectly noted as RIC 40 (which is TRP IIII). It is, I think, RIC 28d (TRP III) draped and cuirassed:

https://www.vcoins.com/en/stores/ro...20_ad_ric_40_very_fine_vf/645179/Default.aspx

I promise I am not trying to sell this - I have no connection to RA whatsoever. It is just interesting to see one cuirassed. If I have my attributions right...

 

Sound the horn (pun intended )! Here it is! I promised to post it, so i'll just do that. Not with an interesting legend such as the OP coin though!