The bronze issues of
Elagabalus are extremely
rare. While the drachms and diobols are well documented, the hemidrachms are not.
As far as I know there are possibly two hemidrachms. The first one is ANS-1944.100.64344, which is identified as a hemidracm in the
ANS database with a
weight of 11.66 g. (
Homonoia standing left).
The other coin is presents more problems.
Vogt in Die Alexandrinschen Muenzen identifies a "
Nike stehend" bronze piece of year 4 in the Staatliche Museen zu
Berlin. In the Sotheby
auction of the
Marcel Jungfleisch collection --
part II (March 9, 1972), lot 157, the description reads as follows: "tetradrachms (2) on
cast bronze flans,
rev. Nike right LD (D. 4123) and a small bronze, Ae 20 mm.,
rev. bust of Sarapis right LD"
Normally hemidrachms and
tetradrachm are about the same size and
weight, but
hemidrachm are usually on beveled flans.
So, now that the
Elagabalus Alexandrian section of the Staatliche Museen is on line, it should have the bronze piece. The collection does not list any year 4 bronze pieces, but I have attached what I believe may be the "lost" bronze piece, identified as a
tetradrachm (
weight 14.68 g. and 27mm). From the picture, the
flan looks like it is beveled.
Any thoughts?
Iwaniw
