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Petra Elagabalus AE20, Plow Scene. Ancient Roman Coin Genuine
Emperor: Elagabalus
Region: Arabia Petraea, City of Petra
Denomination: AE 20
Mint: Petra
Date: AD 218–222
Reference: SNG ANS 1373; Spijkerman 56; Rosenberger 35
Size: 20.3 mm
Weight: 6.28 g
Die Axis: 7 h
Obverse Legend:
IMP C M AVR ANTONINOC
Translation: “Imperator Caesar Marcus Aurelius Antoninus.”
Description: Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Elagabalus right.
Reverse Legend:
PETRA, COLON
Translation: “Petra, the Roman Colony.”
Meaning: COLON = COLONIA, the highest civic status granted by Rome.
Reverse Description:
Founder plowing right with bull and cow.
Meaning: Sacred founding ritual — the ceremonial furrow marking divine approval for the establishment of a city.
Description:
Struck in Petra — the desert stronghold carved from the red stone — this bronze coin shows the ancient founding ceremony of the city: a bull and cow yoked together plowing the ritual boundary line. Petra had become a Roman colonia in this period, proudly marked by the COLON inscription.
These Petra bronzes circulated across Arabia Petraea during a time when Nabataean traditions still lived beneath Roman rule. The coin blends Roman imperial authority with the ancestral imagery of the Near East.
Condition:
aVF. Black patina with red desert highlights, sharp founder scene. Guaranteed authentic ancient coin.
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