A very minor, lengthy, boring, “possible” contribution to Nikopolis numismatics. Elagabalus. 218-222 AD. Nicopolis, Moesia Inferior. Æ (16mm,3.51 gm, 8h).Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right, seen from behind. Rev: Lion (radiate?) walking right. Like Varbanov 3853-3857, but different obv. legend. HrHJ (2015) 8.26.36.3. I posted the above in “The Lion Sleeps Tonight” thread, with, as seen above, a question as to the lion being radiate. I would like to address that here. Comments would be welcome. Checking the various main search sites, I find: 4 examples of a similar coin in CNG, but none with the lion being radiate. 1 example in SixBid. Not radiate. 3 examples in acsearch (excluding duplicates). Not radiate. 1 radiate lion example in acsearch depicting the very coin listed and pictured in Varbanov as 3854. However, Varbanov 3854 does not mention a radiate head….or a thunderbolt in its jaws, as will be addressed below. The latter may be a reverse die match to my coin above, except there may be a deposit or flan flaw above the lion In Varbanov’s example. The obverse, however, has a different obverse legend: Je rather than Varbanov’s Ce. A further observation: my coin shows lines emanating from the lions jaw, as does the Varbanov 3854 example. What to make of those lines? I had vaguely recalled that Caracalla had issued a denarius and an antoninianus with a radiate head lion. Research finds the CNG denarius below: https://cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=35409 The CNG description includes a radiate lion with a thunderbolt in its jaws. IMHO, this explains the curious lines emanating from the lion’s jaw on my coin. Importantly, the description goes on to write: “The radiate lion symbolizes the Emesan solar diety El 'Gabal to which the imperial family was connected through Julia Domna's father. The new "cult" would soon attain much greater significance - and infamy - during the reign of Elagabalus, the high priest of El 'Gabal.” Further, our great friend and premier numismatist CTer Jochen, provided me with the following: “In his (Elagabalus’s) letter to the Senate of Rome and in his letter to the people he described himself as the son of Antoninus (= Caracalla) and grandson of Severus (Cassius Dio, Roman History, Liber 80, 2).” An obvious attempt to legitimize his elevation to the throne of Rome. Thus, I think it is fair to conclude that the die cutter of my coin intended to depict the Caracalla connection, whether on his own initiative or guidance from authorities above him. Yet, why didn’t the other examples I cite show a radiate head with a thunderbolt in the jaws? A mystery that may never be solved
I am struck by the similarity of this coin to one ostensibly issued by Caracalla sold by Roma Numismatics, E-sale 19, lot 465, 1 Aug 2015. This is reportedly Varbanov 3007 v. The lion does not look like it is radiate, nor are there thunderbolts in its mouth. The OP of Elagabalus may well be an example of AMNG I.1 2029, while the Roma specimen might be AMNG I.1 1599. Pick describes the reverse as simply "lion standing right," without further description. Here's my example of the Caracalla coin. Is it radiate? I am not sure: Caracalla, AD 198-217. Roman provincial Æ assarion, 1.92 g, 15.4 mm, 2 h. Moesia Inferior, Nicopolis ad Istrum. Obv: MAP AV K ANTΩNIN, bare head, right. Rev: NIKOΠOΛITΩ / ΠPOC IC, lion advancing right. Refs: Varbanov 3007; Moushmov 1111; AMNG 1599.
