My Newest Elagabalus Antoninianus

As some of you may know I have a fondness and passion for collecting Silver Antoninianii of Caracalla and Elagabalus, specifically Elagabalus, and specifically nice portraits of him. I just added this one to my collection.

I know the reverse is pretty weakly struck, but I bought it for the beautiful portrait.... such a great face and cuirass and everthing.... plus nice and round, and decent weight at 4.7 grams. I always liked the ones that mention his name 'Antoninus' in some fashion on the back, like the 'SALUS ANTONINI' or the 'VICTOR ANTONINI' like this one.

So here she is, what do you guys think?
I will post my other Elagabalus Antoninianii in the next post.

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Roman Empire
Emperor Varius 'Elagabalus' Antoninus
AR Antoninianus, Rome Mint.
obv: IMP CAES M AUR ANTONINUS AUG - Radiate bust, draped and cuirassed. Seen from behind.
rev: VICTOR ANTONINI AUG - Victory advancing right, holding wreath.
4.7 grams.
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Here are some of my other Elagabalus Antoninianii, the best ones ( in my opinion ) of my collection. The first one on top with the Roma seated holding victory with the 'PM TRP COS PP' titles from his first year as Emperor in 218 A.D. is my favorite.
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First Photo:
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Elagabalus Ant "ROMA AD 218"
Elagabalus AD 218-222 Silver Antoninianus (two denarii)
"May your future be filled with joy and success."
obv: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG - Radiate bust right, draped and cuirassed.
rev: PM TR P COS P P - Roma seated left, holding Victory and scepter, by her side, a shield.
4.31 grams
Ex Ancient Auction House
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Second and Third Photos:
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Roman Empire, Elagabalus, 218 - 222 AD.
Silver Antoninianus. Rome Mint.
obv: IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG - Radiate bust right, draped and cuirassed.
rev: FIDES EXERCITUS - Fides seated left, holding eagle and standard, another standard before her.
4.86 Grams

RIC 70, RSC 31
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Fourth and Fifth Photos:
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Elagabalus AR Antoninianus, AD218-222
OBV: IMP CAES M AUR ANTONINUS AUG - Radiate bust right, draped and cuirassed.
REV: MARS VICTOR - Mars, nude except for cloak flowing, walking right, carrying spear and trophy.
5.73 grams
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I do like them very much too.
But I have to confess being still waiting for my first antoninianus of Elagabalus or Carracalla

Q

 

Nice portrait indeed, congrats on the pickup.

 

Yes thats a really great portrait, definatly one I'd like for myself. I almost recently got of an Ant/ of Carracalla too but it was a bit pricey for its condition, and couldnt pass up another coin. Very cool addition!

 

Caracalla Antoninianii

Well Cucumbor and Randy they are pretty rare and prices have gone up, that beautiful ROMA 'PM TR P COS PP' reverse one, actually cost less than this VICTOR ANTONINI one when I bought it around 3 or 4 years ago, and the Caracalla ones have gotten even more expensive, I'm glad I got my nice Caracalla 'Venus Victrix' coins when the gettin was good a few years ago, God knows how much my 'seen from the front' bust of Caracalla would go for now, its quite large too, check it out. Here is a shot with it next to a US 25 cent piece, good size reference... and then another shot one with it and another 'VENUS VICTRIX' reverse, this one with a 'seen from behind' bust next to a US 25 cent piece. The frontal bust weighs 5.2 grams, the other weighs 5.5 grams. I just need a VENUS VICTRIX with the cuirassed(armored style) bust, seen from behind....

The third photo is the frontal bust VENUS VICTRIX, note how well struck and well centered it is.... one of my favorite coins, definitely my favorite of Caracalla.
The photo of the VENUS VICTRIX with Venus holding a helmet instead of Victory and having two captives at her feet is a bit off-color due to my camera, the coin has a nice silver shine to it as you can see from the other photos.

I am going to post a couple more in another post below, all the ones in this post and that one are of the same two Caracalla Silver Antoninianii.

 

Wow !! very Nice Caracalle portraits

Q

 

Venus Victrix - Holding helmet w/ Captives

Venus Victrix - Holding helmet w/ Captives - Bust seen from behind. 5.5 grams.

 

Heh, amazing, usually it is the other way around.... me commenting on your amazing Ancient coins.

 

Things go their ways.

Q

 

Cucumbor has a wonderfull collection. You have alot of killer coins too!

 

I appreciate your kind words, Cucumbor has a truly beautiful collection.
I have always tended to lean towards the Elagabalus Antoninianii, which got me into the Antoninianii of Caracalla.... maybe someday I will have a Macrinus, but not anytime in the near future I don't think.
But I just love the young portraits and detailed cuirasses used on the AR Antoninianii of Elagabalus. I also like the stern and varied bust styles used for those of Caracalla plus the weight of them, I always prefered the heavier silver coins compared to denarii, but I like all Ancient Roman coins, just some more than others. Plus with Caracalla being the first to strike this denomination, that makes them a bit cool and historic.
I think this period in Roman History had some of the best die engravers and artists working on the coins, in my opinion.

 

Yep ole Emperor Elagalus was a real piece of work. It was not his gender bending that got him into trouble, but his Sol worship from a Syrian cult they could not stand. Thus his assasination. Anyone have an "E" with "Sol" on the reverse. If so please post, be nice to see one again. :goofer:

 

Actually worship of the sun god was quite popular, especially among soldiers at the time.... what really got him in trouble was marrying a Vestal Virgin.... that never goes over well with the Senate....
I don't have any coins of Elagabalus with Sol on the reverse though, someday perhaps.

 

Well Rex, I am reminded of the old axiom "Absolute power corrupts, absolutly.""
I suspect that outside of Commodius, he had to be the worst. :devil:

 

Well said.
Yes, in the debate of whom was the worst Emperor, there are many candidates.....

 

Cool Commodus coin, I don't have a Commodus in my collection yet, or his father.... but I like the younger busts of Commodus like on your example Ripley ... yours looks like one struck while he was still Caesar, before becoming Emperor since his head is bare on the obverse, no laurel wreath or anything... is it an as? A sestertius? Which denomination of bronze?
I have seen some AMAZINGLY beautiful young busts of Commodus on some of his bronzes, very well done examples..... plus he did that HERCULI ROMANO ( the Roman Hercules ) series, in which he has himself wearing a lion skin over his head on the obverse portrait, comparing himself with Hercules. The obverse portrait of him on those is quite similar to the portrait on some of the coins struck by Alexander the Great... I have always wanted one (or several, they did a couple different styles) of those too..... both the Commodus HERCULI ROMANO coins and one of the originals of Alexander the Great.

 

I think its a large bronze Sesterses, I have several coins of Alexander the Great. As for Elagabalus, I have one bronze coin of fair quality, I will re-photgraph it by tomorrow and post it up. Its not much compared to the ones I have seen in this thread. But, I know people like seeing new coins all the time.

 

The Commodus is as Caesar and shows Hilaritas. From the photo, I'd guess it is an as but we need size/weight to be sure.

 

The Emperor of Rome declares Victory!



Elagabalus Denarius - Victory
Obverse: Laureate and draped bust right IMP CAES ANTONINVS AVG
Reverse: Victory advancing right holding wreath and palm VICTOR ANTONINI AVG
Catalog: RIC 153 RSC 293 - Struck AD 219

And no doubt bought some new clothes to celebrate.