Heliogabalus, also known as Elagabalus, ruled the Roman Empire from 218 to 222. His real name was Varius Avitus Bassianus. When he became emperor, he introduced himself as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus to connect with the Antoninus dynasty, like his alleged father, Caracalla. The short reign of Heliogabalus' life is still one of the most controversial and mysterious periods in Roman history. In his youth, Heliogabalus served in the service of the sun god El-Gabal, and then he ascended the throne with the support of the coup d'état Julia Maesa. However, the young emperor's life was marked by many contradictions and scandals, and he made many controversial decisions during his reign.

The coinage of Emperor Elagabalus (218-222) is one of the most unusual and controversial periods in the history of Roman coinage. The emperor, who came to power at the age of 14, rejected traditional Roman religious and cultural values and made himself the high priest of the Syrian temple of Elagabal. This change was also reflected in his coinage, in which he increasingly replaced Roman gods and symbols with Syrian gods and symbols. Features of Elagabalus' coinage The portrait of the ruler is often Syrian in style, with large eyes and a narrow face. Syrian deities such as Elagabal, Baal, and Atargatis are often depicted on the reverse. The inscriptions on the coins are often in Syriac. The coinage of Elagabalus had a significant impact on the Roman coinage. After the death of the emperor, the traditional Roman religious and cultural values returned, but the Syrian style and symbols continued to appear on the coins. Some concrete examples of Elagabalus' coinage: Denarius, 218: Portrait of the ruler in Syrian style, the temple of Elagabal on the reverse. Aureus, 221: The portrait of the ruler in the Syrian style, the goddess Atargatis on the reverse. Sestertius, 222: The portrait of the ruler in the Syrian style, the god Baal on the reverse. The coinage of Elagabalus is still in great demand among numismatists.