AY K M AYΡHΛI ANTωN, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right. / MHTΡOΠO KAICAΡI, Mount Argaeos, surmounted by star, on altar. Date ET E on altar front. Mint of Caesarea in Cappadocia, dated year 5 (222 CE). 26mm, 12.72 grams. Ganschow 714f; BMC 292; ANS NY 1944.100.62599.

Elagabalus (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, r. 218–222 CE) was a Roman emperor known for his controversial and unconventional reign. Born in Emesa (modern Homs), he was originally a priest of the sun god Elagabal, whose worship he attempted to elevate above traditional Roman religion. Coming to power as a teenager with the support of his influential grandmother Julia Maesa, Elagabalus shocked the Roman elite with religious innovations, lavish spending, and behavior seen as scandalous and erratic. His reign alienated both the Senate and the army, and he was eventually assassinated by the Praetorian Guard in 222 CE, after which his memory was officially condemned.