Obv: Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus facing right "SEP-TIM (TV)R COL
Rev: Hexastyle temple with arched central bay set on four-tiered base; palm tree, altar, and murex shell before temple steps; within statue of Tyche of Tyre standing right, erecting trophy, crowned by Nike on column


. Metal: Bronze 18.46 Grams, 30 mm diameter. Condition: good VF

Elagabalus grandmother Julia Mamaea and his mother's lover Gannya manuvered the legions to support Elagabalas to be emperor by a false story that he was actually the son of the popular (with the army) Caracalla.

Elagabalas was wierd even by Roman emperor standards. He dressed like an eastern potentate when he was not playing the role of a woman. He was bisexual and a transvestite. He was high priest to the eastern God Elagabal and built two temples to Elagabal in Rome and forced the Romans to worship this foreign god in the Phoenician manner with the goal of making Elagabal the chief and only god of Rome with all the other gods merely his servants or attendants. All in all his behavior made Elagabalus very unpopular.

Eventual in an attempt to save the dynasty his family persuaded Elagabalus to appoint his cousin Alexader Serverus as Caesar and his heir. Rather than calm things this appointment led to open rivaly. In late 221, Elagabalus ordered the murder of Alexander, but no-one would carry out the order. On 11 March 222, during a visit to the praetorian camp, Elagabalus became enraged at the open support for Alexander, and his own unpopularity. He ordered the immediate arrest and punishment of the offenders, but the soldiers had had enough. They killed Elagabalus while he was either hiding in the latrine or being carried away hidded in a chest. His mother was also killed and their bodies were beheaded and dragged naked around the streets of Rome, until at last the emperor's corpse was thrown into the Tiber.