Elagabalus. AD 218-222. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.17 g, 6h). Uncertain eastern mint. Struck AD 218-219. EF.

CNG Feature Auction 123
Lot: 662. Estimated: $ 2 000

Roman Imperial, Coin-in-Hand Video, Silver

Sold For $ 3 250. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

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Elagabalus. AD 218-222. AR Denarius (19mm, 3.17 g, 6h). Uncertain eastern mint. Struck AD 218-219. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Slow quadriga right, bearing the sacred stone of Emesa on which is an eagle, surrounded by four parasols. RIC IV 195; Thirion 360; RSC 268. Lustrous, rough edges. EF.

Ex Nilus Coins inventory 006-50 (ND).

At the age of fourteen, Varius Avitus Bassianus (better known as Elagabalus or Heliogabalus) inherited the office of high priest of the sun god El-Gabal at Emesa in Syria. The deity was worshipped in the form of a conical sacred stone, or baetyl, likely a large meteorite. When an unlikely coup made him emperor in June of AD 218, Elagabalus determined to take the stone with him to Rome and introduce its worship to the whole empire. During his reign, the emperor was devoted to promoting the cult of El-Gabal, building a lavish temple on the Palatine Hill to house the stone. For a brief period, the exotic eastern deity nearly came to dominate the Roman Pantheon.

This issue, struck in AD 218-219, likely refers to the journey from Emesa to Rome. The procession was repeated every year in the transfer of the stone from its principal temple in Rome to its “summer home,” a large and richly decorated temple in the suburbs. Describing the transfer, Herodian (V.6.7) writes:

A six-horse chariot bore the sun god, the horses huge and flawlessly white, with expensive gold fittings and rich ornaments. No one held the reins, and no one rode in the chariot; the vehicle was escorted as if the sun god himself were the charioteer. Heliogabalus ran backward in front of the chariot, facing the god and holding the horses' reins. He made the whole journey in this reverse fashion, looking up into the face of his god.



The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 123 lots will be determined during the live online sale that will be held on 23-24 May 2023. This lot is in Session Three, which will begin 24 May 2023 at 9 AM ET.

Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.

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