Elagabalus 218 – 222
Aureus 218-219, AV 7.11 g. IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust r. Rev. FIDES MILITVM Elagabalus, laureate and in military attire, standing r. and holding transverse spear; to r., a soldier carrying standard and shield. Behind the emperor, another soldier carrying a standard. C 42. BMC 16 note. RIC 76. Calicó 2994 (these dies). Faces of Power 448 (this coin, provenance incorrectly reported). Extremely rare and among the finest specimens known of this interesting type. A portrait of excellent style and a finely detailed reverse composition. Virtually as struck and almost Fdc Ex Christie's sale 9 October 1984, Property of a Lady, 115 and NAC 18, 2000, 621 sales. From the Victor Adda Collection. With its youthful portrait and powerful military type, this aureus represents the combined hope of a new regime not long before Romans experienced firsthand the bizarre nature of this short-lived emperor. Instead of the military skills of Caracalla, the people received an emperor whose interests lay principally in sexual perversions and religious fanaticism. The obverse is crafted to recall the reigns of former emperors. Except for the subtleties of style and fabric known to numismatists, the obverse is almost indistinguishable from the early coinage of Caracalla – something that certainly was intentional. This aligned perfectly with the false rumour circulated by the Emesan women that Caracalla was the biological father of Elagabalus. Furthermore, the inscription is virtually identical to one commonly used by Marcus Aurelius, the only difference being that AVR had earlier been expanded to AVREL. As such it harkens back to the glorious Antonine House, a connection originally fabricated by Septimius Severus, only here reinforced with the return of Severan power. However, this next pair of emperors, Elagabalus and Severus Alexander, was remote from the North African Severans of old because they belonged to Julia Domna's Syrian family. The reverse is well balanced and traditional, showing two soldiers flanking their emperor, who appears strong and resolute with his spear at the ready. The inscription mirrors the type by proclaiming fides militum, a declaration of the army's assurance, trustworthiness, protection and confidence – an important theme on the eve of a counter-revolution, especially when an untested teenager had replaced an experienced praetorian prefect.