Radiate

Wearing a radiate crown. Tiberius was the first emperor to depict the radiate crown on coin portraiture, but ONLY for postumous portraiture of the deified Augustus. Nero was the first to depict it on a living person (himself). The radiate crown is an attribute of the Sun god (Sol Invictus, Helios) and is conferring that association upon the wearer. As a bust attribute on some roman coins it served as a "double value" denominational marker: dupondius = double as, antoninianus = double denarius.

Many coins of Rhodes depict the sun god Helios with a radiate crown. These images inspired the radiate crown on the Statue of Liberty.

^{Rhodos, Carian Islands, c. 229 - 205 B.C.}
Silver tetradrachm, SNG Keckman 548, SNG Cop -, Choice aEF, Rhodos mint, weight 13.403g, maximum diameter 26.3mm, die axis 0o, c. 229 - 205 B.C.; obverse radiate head of Helios facing slightly right; reverse RODI-ON, rose with bud right, thunderbolt left, magistrate's name EUKRATHS above.

Today we still associate the crown with royalty. The ancient Greeks associated the radiate crown with divinity and in the Hellenistic period royalty was often associated with divinity. With the beautiful and rare type below Ptolemy IV honored his deceased father with the symbols of divinity. He wears the aegis of Zeus, the radiate crown of Helios, and carries the trident of Neptune.

^{Ptolemaic Kingdom, Ptolemy IV Philopator, 221 - 204 B.C.}Gold oktodrachm, Svoronos 1117, SNG Cop 196, gVF, Alexandria mint, weight 27.788g, maximum diameter 26.9mm, die axis 0o, obverse radiate and diademed bust of the deified Ptolemy III; reverse BASILEWS PTOLEMAIOU, radiate cornucopia bound with royal diadem, DI below.