Elagabalus 218 – 222
Quinarius, uncertain eastern mint circa 219, AV 3.74 g. IMP CAES M AVR SE ANTONINVS AVG Laureate head r. Rev. VICTOR AN – TONINVS AVG Victory advancing r., holding wreath in l. hand, palm branch in r. C –. BMC p. 588 * (this coin, incorrectly cited as an aureus). RIC 163D (this coin cited). King 9A (this coin listed). Biaggi 1233 (this coin). Calicó 3041 (incorrectly listed as an aureus).
Of the highest rarity, only the second specimen known of this
issue of tremendous interest. Good very fine
Ex Ars Classica XVI, 1933, 1954; Leu 36, 1985, 311 and Triton XIV, 2011, 772 sales. From the Biaggi collection.
While prosecuting a successful war against the Parthians in A.D. 217, the emperor Caracalla was assassinated at Carrhae. Into the vacuum of power leaped the praetorian prefect Macrinus, who had himself proclaimed as Augustus and his son, Diadumenian, as Caesar. His reign, however, did not begin well. He was forced to buy an expensive and humiliating peace with the Parthians as a means of freeing himself from the eastern frontier to make a march on Rome, where he was already disliked and distrusted. Macrinus’ unpopularity invited a rebellion in Syria in A.D. 218. The revolt was led by the family and adherents of Julia Maesa, the sister of Caracalla’s mother, Julia Domna, and aimed at claiming the imperial purple for Maesa’s grandson, the 14-year-old Sex. Varius Avitus Bassianus. Eastern legions assembled at Emesa proclaimed the young Bassianus emperor under the official name previously used by Caracalla; M. Aurelius Antoninus. However, his early role as hereditary high priest of the sun god of Emesa has caused him to be known to history as the emperor Elagabalus. Macrinus marshalled his forces to crush the revolt and marched against the legions of Elagabalus, meeting in battle near Antioch on June 8, 218 A.D., but his army was utterly defeated by the rebels, forcing him and his son to flee. They were subsequently hunted down by Elagabalus’ men and executed.
The defeat and deaths of Macrinus and Diadumenian are the victories referred to on this extremely rare gold quinarius of Elagabalus. The somewhat crude style of this well preserved eastern issue suggests a possible donative emission struck to cement the loyalty of Elagabalus’ legions shortly after the fall of Macrinus and in preparation for the new emperor’s advance to Rome. It is an historically important coin marking the return of a scion from the distaff side of the Severan house to imperial power.