Denarius of Elagabalus

The Denarius of Elagabalus is a small silver coin of the Roman Empire struck during the short reign of the emperor Elagabalus (218–222 AD). The denarius was the standard everyday silver denomination of Rome, and issues of this ruler are among the more commonly encountered Severan-era silver coins today.

The example shown carries a portrait of Elagabalus facing right on the obverse and a standing female figure holding a staff on the reverse, a layout typical of imperial denarii that pair the emperor's likeness with a personified deity or virtue. Coins of this type circulated widely across the empire and survive in large numbers, making them a popular entry point into collecting Roman imperial silver.

Elagabalus, born Varius Avitus Bassianus and ruling under the name Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, came to power in 218 AD at roughly fourteen years of age. He was hereditary priest of the Syrian sun god Elagabal at Emesa, and his brief reign became notorious in later Roman sources for religious innovation and court scandal. He was assassinated in 222 AD and succeeded by his cousin Severus Alexander.

The denarius by this period was a long-established denomination but had been progressively debased, so Severan-era coins contain noticeably less silver than the near-pure denarii of the early Empire. Most of Elagabalus's denarii were struck at Rome, with some issues attributed to an eastern mint. The reverse types promote the standard imperial messages of the age—loyalty, piety, prosperity, and the emperor's own solar cult—through personifications and deities, one of which appears as the standing figure with a staff on this coin.

Look first at the obverse: a youthful male head or bust of Elagabalus facing right, usually laureate and often draped, ringed by a Latin legend. Emperor legends on his denarii commonly include the name ANTONINVS with imperial titles such as IMP and AVG; reading the inscription and confirming a right-facing portrait is the key step in attribution.

The reverse of this example shows a standing female figure holding a long staff or scepter, a common way of depicting a Roman deity or personified virtue (types of this era include figures such as Fides, Pax, Providentia, Salus, and others). The surrounding legend names the concept or deity and helps pin down the exact reverse type. As a denarius it is a small, thin silver coin, roughly 18–20 mm across and generally around 2–3 grams, with a hand-struck look—slightly irregular flan, off-center details, and no milled edge.

Denarii of Elagabalus are relatively plentiful, and common reverse types in worn to good-condition grades are among the more affordable authentic Roman silver coins, typically trading in the low tens to low hundreds of dollars depending on condition, strike, and portrait quality. Scarcer or more elaborate reverse types, and coins with sharp detail and pleasing toning, bring higher figures.

Value is driven mainly by eye appeal, centering, surface quality, and the specific reverse type rather than by rarity of the emperor, since his coinage is well represented in the market. Exact prices vary by dealer, auction, and grade, so treat any single figure as a range rather than a fixed number; independent attribution and, for higher-value pieces, third-party authentication are worthwhile.