Obolos 9

Elagabalus, 218-222. Denarius (Silver, 21 mm, 3.59 g, 11 h), Rome, 221. IMP ANTONINVS PIVS AVG Laureate bust of Elagabalus to right. Rev. P M TR P IIII COS III P P Elagabalus standing left, holding club in his left hand, and sacrificing from patera held in his right over lighted altar to left; in field to left, star; in field to right, remains of an erased star. Cohen 196 var. (bust type). RIC 46 var. (bust type). Rare; toned. Some uncleaned deposits, otherwise, good very fine.

From the collection of W. F. Stoecklin, Amriswil, Switzerland, acquired prior to 1975.

This coin is particularly interesting because it clearly shows that the engraver initially put a star in the right field; realizing that it had to be in the left field he then erased it. Unusually, the erasure was not sufficiently well made and the original star remains visible. For specialists in Roman mint errors this is a most exciting coin!.