A prize arriving on Monday morning

[ambr0zie]

I don't know about you, but I hate Mondays. And mornings. Having these 2 conditions met, you realize how I love Monday mornings. Especially after another night of bad sleep, abruptly ended by a neighbor who decided it's a good idea to start decorating his home or whatever, blasting a hammer in the walls or floor. Always thought he is an idiot. Assumptions confirmed.

But not everything is bad today - I have just returned from the post office with a new coin!
Some of you will remember that @YOTHR decided to host a game recently. I participated and I think it was fun and educational. I was glad when I found our the 12 mandatory answers were correct. The bonus answer was not - well, will know next time. But I was also happy when I won 2nd place - a 30 euros voucher for YOTHR's shop!

I want to highlight that YOTHR replied to my message extremely quickly, even if the results were announced on a Sunday afternoon. He also prepared the shipment in the same day. This is the kind of attitude I deeply respect and proves me he wants customers who will buy from him again.

I checked his offer - in my opinion, coins in above average condition, a candy shop for a collector. I wanted a coin as close as possible to the prize value, so I could feel I won it. And after a quick check, I decided this one is the best option (my picture and YOTHR's video ).

 

Attribution was slightly incorrect (a typo from the previous auction house the coin was bought from) - it is RIC 146 not 46, the confusion was probably caused by the fact that 46 and 146 have similar reverses.

19 mm 3.34 g

Elagabalus, 218-222. Denarius, Rome, 220-222. IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, and draped bust of Elagabalus to right, wearing 'horn' over forehead. Rev. SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus standing front, head to left, holding patera over lighted altar in his right hand and branch in his left; in field to left, star. BMC 231. Cohen 276. RIC 146.

There are 2 things that made me choose this coin, not counting the good condition - the reverse, showing Elagabal in Syrian priestly robes and, especially, the obverse, showing the emperor horned - I liked the theory discussed on CT.

I admit I am not an Elagabal fan and from what I read about his personality, I suspect he wasn't mentally sane. But this cannot stop me to like his coins.

Here are my other Elagabal denarii (first one, not the same condition and without the horn, second a limes)

Here is my coin with his mother, Julia Soaemias, who played a major part in his reign

... and a coin of Julia Paula, the easiest one to get on coins from his wives.

 

Please show coins of Elagabal or his family!

[JayAg47]

Nice coin of a weird little guy!

Here're my duplicates.

[Spaniard]

@ambr0zie...Yes a lovely looking coin!....Congrats...Neat beard detail on the ob...

I've just bought my first coin from YOTHR last week and completely agree that the customer service is A+. Will post a thread when it arrives.

Here's my only Elagabalus.

Elagabalus. 218-222 AD. AR Denarius (3.22 gm, 19mm). Rome mint. Struck 219 AD.
Obv.: laureate and draped bust right.
Rev.: Providentia standing left with legs crossed, leaning on column to right, holding rod over globe in right hand and cornucopia in left.
RIC IV 23; RSC 144

[Qcumbor]

Great coin from à great source, congrats 

Elagabalus, denarius - Rome mint, ca 218-219 CE

 

IMP CAES M AVR ANTONINVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right
MARS VICTOR, Mars advancing right
3.49 gr
Ref : Cohen # 109v, RCV # 7526, RIC # 123

 

Q

 

[shanxi]

Nice Monday Brightener

Here are two of mine:

Elagabalus
Denar, Antiochia
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG, Laureate bust right
Rev.: FELICIT-AS / TEMP, Galley
Ag, 3.3g, 18mm
Ref.: RIC 188, C. 27, BMC 277

 

Elagabalus
Denar, Rome
Obv.: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped and horned bust right
Rev.: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabal sacrificing from patera over lit altar right, holding club, star in field
Ag, 19 mm, 3.2g
Ref.: RIC IV 131, RSC III 246, BMCRE V 225

[Prieure de Sion]

2 hours ago, ambr0zie said:

But not everything is bad today - I have just returned from the post office with a new coin!
Some of you will remember that @YOTHR decided to host a game recently. I participated and I think it was fun and educational. I was glad when I found our the 12 mandatory answers were correct. The bonus answer was not - well, will know next time. But I was also happy when I won 2nd place - a 30 euros voucher for YOTHR's shop!

Thanks for the compliment - I'm glad it gave you a good start to Monday. If you are happy, I am happy too 😉 ... Have fun with the Elagabalus. 

 

1 hour ago, Spaniard said:

I've just bought my first coin from YOTHR last week and completely agree that the customer service is A+. Will post a thread when it arrives.

Has the shipment not arrived yet? What does the tracking say?  

[kapphnwn]

Elagabalus Ar Denarius Antioch 218-219 AD Obv Bust right laureate draped and cuirassed seen from back Rv  Sacred Stone of Emisa in chariot pulled by four prancing horses right, shaded by four parasols. RIC 195 2.97 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

It is interesting that while the depiction of the sacred stone played an important part in coinage issued from the mint identified as Antioch, its presence at the mint of Rome is all but non existent. As far as I know there is a scarce denarius as well as a very scarce antoninianus. 

[Spaniard]

1 hour ago, YOTHR said:

Has the shipment not arrived yet? What does the tracking say?  

It was scanned in Spain yesterday so should arrive in the next couple of days..

[Roman Collector]

Congratulations, @ambr0zie! And what a generous act by @YOTHR!

Here is a similar coin from my collection.

Elagabalus, AD 218-222.
Roman AR Denarius, 2.80 g, 18.3 mm, 6 h.
Rome mint, AD 221-222.
Obv: IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate and draped bust right, with horn on top of his head, signifying divine power.
REV: SACERD DEI SOLIS ELAGAB, Elagabalus, in priestly robes, standing right, sacrificing over altar and holding cypress branch, star in field, right.
Refs: RIC 131; BMCRE 225-226; Cohen 246; RCV 7542; Thirion 302.

 

 

[ambr0zie]

Looking better on the coin, I think the emperor holds a club

which means it's RSC 276a variant

What do you think?

[Prieure de Sion]

20 minutes ago, Roman Collector said:

Congratulations, @ambr0zie! And what a generous act by @YOTHR!

That was not generous - he win the game 😄 and buy a coin at my shop. So was a win / win. 
But the prio #1 was - we have all fun with our coins. with a little game, with a coin etc.

 

Argh! I hate this - sorry false account ... I hate my two accounts with forgotten switching 😄 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Prieure de Sion

[ambr0zie]

For a moment I thought Prieure de Sion is attacking YOTHR, which was a little shocking.

P.S. the gesture was generous. I would like to see more dealers starting this kind of games with prizes. And sometimes I wonder what a marvelous feeling would be to see an email from my favorite auction houses stating "hey, you know what, you participated in 10 auctions of ours  in the last year, this one is on us" or "no fees for you this time"

Can anybody confirm the club/branch difference? Looking at other examples of this coin type, the branch is pretty clear. On this one I would say club.

Edited November 7, 2022 by ambr0zie

[Prieure de Sion]

17 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

P.S. the gesture was generous. I would like to see more dealers starting this kind of games with prizes.

No - was only small game with small prices and many advertisement for my shop.

But I will do that - because the forum here is very nice and we have all fun with our coins.
So it was for us here - to have fun with our hobby - thats all. 

If you can win a villa in Italy in one of the coming games - you can say its generous 😄 

 

19 minutes ago, ambr0zie said:

Can anybody confirm the club/branch difference? Looking at other examples of this coin type, the branch is pretty clear. On this one I would say club.

This is very interesting ... I will make a look later too.

[ambr0zie]

24 minutes ago, Prieure de Sion said:

If you can win a villa in Italy in one of the coming games - you can say its generous 😄 

I can exchange this with a simple, normal, penthouse. I am lazy and I don't want to work in the backyard/garden.

[Hughie Dwyer]

@ambr0zie Very nice coin. I only have one coin of Elagabalus. In fact, it has the same obverse as your coin. 

O. Horned bust of Elagabalus

R. Elagabalus, standing right, holding patera, sacrificing above lighted altar. 

Dia. 20mm

[Marsyas Mike]

Great acquisition, @ambr0zie - that's a real gem.  

My RIC 146 does not have the horn.  Below are some notes on this hornless situation: 

Elagabalus Denarius  (218-222 A.D.) Rome Mint IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG, laureate, draped & bearded bust right (no horn) / SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG, Elagabalus in Syrian priest robes sacrificing left, with patera and branch over altar, star left.  RIC IV 146 var. (no horn).  (2.66 grams / 20 mm) eBay Sept. 2017 $20.50 BO

Attribution Note:  RIC notes this only as having a horned bust, but several on acsearch were without the horn.  Noted as variety here: Roma Numismatics Limited Auction Lot Date Start Hammer E-Live Auction 2; Lot 744;  30.08.2018.  https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=5190062  Notes: "...To complement (marriage to Julia Paula), a similar celestial union was arranged, whereby the sacred stone of Emesa, which had accompanied Elagabalus as he made his way to the capital was to be "married" to the sacred stone of the Carthaginian goddess Tanit, itself being brought to Africa. As Elgabal's supreme priest (summus sacerdos), the emperor would oversee the union, a position commemorated by this coin."  CNG auction 70, lot 814

Curtis Clay on FORVM describes this de-horned situation (thanks! @curtislclay).  For this type without the horn, it seems it was minted very close to the end of Elagabalus's reign, which is kind of interesting.  

"On denarii, it is clear that the "horn" was introduced in 221 at the same time as the four rev. types showing the emperor in Syrian priestly dress sacrificing to his sun-god Elagabalus, and that it was the standard obv. type until sometime early in the next year, TR P V=222, when it was eliminated until the end of the reign a month or two later, in March 222.'"  Curtis Clay FORVM  http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=38335.0

As Curtis notes, there are four reverse types in this series showing the Emperor sacrificing.   I have three of the four (the other two I have do have the horns):

Slightly off-topic (non-silver, Provincial), this thread gives me an excuse to post my latest Elagabalus, a countermarked issue from Cappadocia: 

Elagabalus  Æ 25 Cappadocia, Caesarea Year ƐΤ Γ (3) (219-220 A.D.) [ΑΥ (Κ) Μ ΑΥΡΗΛΙ(ΟϹ)] ΑΝΤ[ωΝƐΙΝΟϹ(ϹƐΒ)]; radiate, draped bust r., seen from rear / [ΜΗΤΡΟΠ] ΚΑΙϹΑΡΙ, agalma of Mount Argaeus on garlanded altar, ƐΤ Γ in exergue RPC VI 6702 (temp.); Syd. 524. (11.72 grams / 25 x 24 mm) eBay Oct. 2022  $11.50

Countermark:  Radiate head of Helios right, in circular punch, 5 mm., in obverse right field. RPC Countermark 129; Howgego GIC 12i (242 pcs.).   "Note: The countermark was most likely applied in 243/244 since there are no countermarked coins from year seven of the reign of Gordian III." FORVM.

Die-Match Characteristics:  Obv.: Back 3 rays bent upward; Rev.: Garlanded altar; RPC says "sometimes garlanded"; few are.  Die-Match Obv. (?) and Rev.: Aquila Numismatics Auction 4; Lot 744; 19.08.2022 Laureate bust?  Or weak rays?  Die-Match Obv.: RPC VI 6702 no. 1; Berlin, Staatliche Museen, 18224139. RPC VI 6702 no. 19; Henseler 1059

My notes for the flips are getting longer, as I recently started trying to find die-matches to everything coming in; I find this to extend the enjoyment of attributing ancients, as well as provides a bolus of confidence as to authenticity (but fakes have die-matches too, of course).  These Helios countermarks are quite common for Caesarea in Cappadocia; it'd be nice to know what the reason was, but that's lost to time, unless a papyrus or inscription turns up.  As my example demonstrates, these got used hard and probably for a long time.  

 

 

 

[DonnaML]

I am confused. So  Prieure de Sion = YOTHR? That would get him banned forever on Coin Talk! Good thing this isn't Coin Talk.

I have only four coins of Elagabalus. The second one is the same type as @ambr0zie's.

Elagabalus AR Denarius, 218-219 AD, Antioch Mint. Obv. Laureate draped bust right, no beard, ANTONINVS PIVS FEL AVG/Rev. Two standards between two legionary eagles, CONCORDIA MILIT. RIC IV-2 187, RSC III 15, Sear  RCV II 7505 (ill.). 18 mm., 2.8 g.

Elagabalus AR Denarius, 221-222 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Laureate & draped bust right, bearded, with horn (or bull phallus) extending above laurel wreath, IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG/ Rev. Elagabalus standing left, sacrificing from patera over lit tripod altar, holding branch, star in field left, SVMMVS SACERDOS AVG. RIC IV-2 146, RSC III 276 (bearded), Sear RCV II 7549. 17.71 mm., 3.97 g.

Elagabalus, Billon Tetradrachm, Year 3 (219/220 AD), Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, Α ΚΑΙϹΑΡ ΜΑ ΑΥΡ - ΑΝΤѠΝΙΝΟϹ ƐΥϹƐΒ / Rev. Nike advancing right, holding wreath out with right hand and palm branch over left shoulder with left hand, L Γ [Year 3] before her. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. VI, 10053 (temporary); RPC Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/10053; Emmett 2939.3 (R2) [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Dattari (Savio) 4122 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; Milne 2776 at p. 69 (wreath-ties “d,” one turned forwards, the other backwards) [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; Geissen (Köln) 2320 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band II (Hadrian-Antoninus Pius) (Cologne, 1978, corrected reprint 1987)]; K&G 56.28 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria  (2008)]. 23 mm., 12.40 g., 12 h. Ex. CNG E-Auction 403, Lot 432, Aug 9, 2017 (see https://www.cngcoins.com/Coin.aspx?CoinID=34134);  Ex. Hermanubis Collection.

Elagabalus and Julia Maesa [his grandmother], AE Pentassarion [5 Assaria], 218-222 AD, Marcianopolis, Moesia Inferior [now Devnya, Bulgaria] (Iulius Antonius Seleucus, Consular Legate). Obv. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus right, facing draped bust of Julia Maesa left, wearing stephane, AVT K M AVΡ ANTΩNEINOC AVΓ IOYΛIA MAICA AVΓ / Rev. Hera standing, head left, holding patera downwards in right hand and staff in left hand, VΠ IOVΛ ANT CEΛEVKOV MAΡKIANOΠOΛITΩ, E [mark of value for “5”] in right field. Moushmov 688 [see http://www.wildwinds.com/coins/moushmov/markianopolis.html for English translation of H. Moushmov, Ancient Coins of the Balkan Peninsula (1912)]; Varbanov I 1651 [[Ivan Varbanov, Greek Imperial Coins And Their Values, Volume I: Dacia, Moesia Superior & Moesia Inferior (English Edition) (Bourgas, Bulgaria, 2005)]; AMNG I/I 944 [Pick, Behrendt, Die antiken Münzen von Dacien und Moesien, Die antiken Münzen Nord-Griechenlands Vol. I/I (Berlin, 1898) at p. 272] [available at https://archive.org/details/p1dieantikenmn01akaduoft/page/271/mode/1up]; H&J 6.28.1.2.  26 mm., 9.45 g.
 

And some members of his family:

Julia Paula (first wife of Elagabalus). AR Denarius 219-220 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. IVLIA PAVLA AVG, draped bust right / Rev. CONCORDIA, ca seated left, holding patera; star in left field. RIC IV-2 211 (Elagabalus), RSC III 6a, BMCRE 172 (Elagabalus). 21 mm., 2.49 g., 6h. 

Julia Paula (first wife of Elagabalus), AE 21, 219-220 AD, Mysia, Parium [Parion in Greek]. Obv. Draped and diademed bust right, IVLIA P-AVLA AVG / Rev. Capricorn right, holding globe between hooves, cornucopia above, CGIHP [Colonia Gemella Ivlia Hadriana Pariana -- colony founded by Julius Caesar] below. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. VI, 3858 (temporary); RPC Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/6/3858; Lindgren & Kovacs 289 [Lindgren, H.C. & Kovacs, F.L., Ancient Bronze Coins of Asia Minor and the Levant (San Mateo, CA 1985). 21 mm., 5.67 g., 10 h. (Purchased from VAuctions, Pars Coins, Sale 354, Lot 195, Nov. 16, 2020.)

Aquilia Severa (second wife of Elagabalus), AR Denarius 220-222 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right/ Rev: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing left, holding patera over lighted altar and double cornucopiae; star in lower right field. RIC IV-2 226 (Elagabalus); RSC III 2. 18 mm., 3.2 g.

Julia Soaemias (mother of Elagabalus). AR Denarius 220-221 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, IVLIA SOAEMIAS AVG / Rev. Venus standing facing, head left, holding apple & scepter; large star in right field, VENVS CAELESTIS.* RIC IV-2 241 (Elagabalus); RSC III 8b. 18 mm., 2.85 g. 

*    Roman equivalent of the Greek Aphrodite Ourania, who was associated in Greco-Roman mythography with the eastern goddess Astarte (a/k/a Ishtar, Ashtaroth,  etc.)
 

[Prieure de Sion]

24 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

I am confused. So  Prieure de Sion = YOTHR? That would get him banned forever on Coin Talk! Good thing this isn't Coin Talk.

Yes. This has been agreed with the administrators of the forum.

I also think it's a good thing. I am here privately for once and also have a private opinion. And when I post with YOTHR - then everyone should also see - this is now the opinion of a trader. Otherwise I could also do "unauthorised advertising" here privately for the shop. I do not want that. Private is private. And if I post something about the shop - everyone should also know - this is not a private opinion - this is the dealer speaking. 

 

24 minutes ago, DonnaML said:

Aquilia Severa (second wife of Elagabalus), AR Denarius 220-222 AD, Rome mint. Obv: IVLIA AQVILIA SEVERA AVG, Draped bust right/ Rev: CONCORDIA, Concordia standing left, holding patera over lighted altar and double cornucopiae; star in lower right field. RIC IV-2 226 (Elagabalus); RSC III 2. 18 mm., 3.2 g.

Ah beautiful! I've been looking for this type for ages. It is always to be found as an offer - but not as beautiful as your coin!
Ahhhhh! It's beautiful. I hope I find a similar coin! ❤️

 

 

Edited November 7, 2022 by Prieure de Sion