Nomos 9

Caracalla, 198-217. Antoninianus (Silver, 25mm, 5.14 g 7), Rome, 215. ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right. Rev. P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P Jupiter, nude but for chlamys over left arm, holding a thunderbolt in his right hand and a long vertical scepter in his left. BMC 110. Cohen 279. RIC 258a. A spectacular piece with an elegant bust, well struck on a very broad and massive flan. Minor metal flaw in the left field on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.

The elder son of Septimius Severus was officially known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, thus some cataloguers list him as Antoninus II, but he is usually known as Caracalla, a nickname taken from a type of Gallic cloak he liked to wear. As a child he was made co-emperor with his father in 198; his hated younger brother Geta was only made a co-emperor in 209. Both came to the throne after Severus’ death in February 211, but the joint reign only lasted until late December when Caracalla had Geta murdered. Caracalla has a very bad reputation thanks to his actions towards the upper classes who wrote the history of his reign, and to his mental instability, but he was responsible for significant reforms in the coinage, for making all free residents of the empire citizens, and for raising army pay.