Caracalla Roman emperor from 198 to 217

[thenickelguy]

Caracalla Æ28 of Nikopolis ad Istrum.
Legate Flavius Ulpianus.

Obv: AVT K M AVPH ANTWNEINOC, laureate bust right
Rev: V FL OVLPIAN NIKOPOLIT PROC I, Hera standing left, veiled, holding patera & scepter.

I may be off by a mile on this.
It is more of a dark deep brown coin than these images show.
But I had to mess with the images to show detail,
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus was the first son of Emperor Septimius Severus and Empress Julia Domna.
He is known better as Caracalla.
Septimius Severus appointed Caracalla and his younger brother Geta to be co-rulers of the Roman Empire before he died. Shortly after his death, it is likely that Caracalla had Geta killed which made him sole emperor. 
He was a soldier first and an emperor second and left the administration responsibilities to his mother Julia Domna.
His battles were with the Germanic people.
He must have been a clean emperor, because he completed the Baths of Caracalla which were considered one of the seven wonders of Rome.
There were many beautiful statues, mosaics and paintings on walls and ceilings. It had a capacity of as many as 1600 people.

A model of Baths of Caracalla

 

Edited July 14, 2022 by thenickelguy

[Etcherdude]

The baths now serve, part-time, as a summer night opera venue. Years ago I saw Aida there, the ruins an imposing backdrop for an unforgettable production that included actual horse pulled chariots.

[Steve]

🙃

Wow, look at you go, eh? 

=> the nickelguy! ... wow, winner after winner! ... 28mm (a nice biggun)

=> please keep 'em coming!

[thenickelguy]

All out for now.

[Spaniard]

Nice pick up!...

Here's a craggy grimace..

 

Caracalla. AD 198-217. AR Denarius (3,48g). Rome mint. Struck AD 212-213.
Ob..ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, Laureate bearded head right.
Rev..MONETA AVG, Moneta draped standing left, holding scales and cornucopia.
RIC IV 224; RSC 165.

[Marsyas Mike]

Normally way out of my price range, I just got a Caracalla sestertius from eBay - the seller said he found it in his dad's desk drawer and didn't know what it was.  The reverse is quite rough, but I really liked the portrait.  Since I have not handled many AEs from this emperor, I was quite surprised by the size (almost 30 grams) and the care taken in its production - some of the Antoninus Pius/Marcus Aurelius and especially Commodus AEs got pretty under-sized and careless when it came to die-work.  But these Caracalla's are impressive, almost Trajanic:  

Caracalla  Æ Sestertius (214-217 A.D.)  Rome Mint M AVREL ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right / [PROVIDENTI]AE [DEO]RV[M] S C, Providentia standing left, holding wand over globe and sceptre RIC IV 572a; BMCRE 271. (29.82 grams / 32 x 30 mm) eBay July 2022 

[Steve]

thenickelguy => Congrats again on your sweet new OP-coin ... 

 

=> sorry, but I couldn't resist posting these sweet ol' examples ... it's in my blood!

 

Caracalla AR Antoninianus (below)

Rome mint

198-217 A.D.

Struck AD 215

Diameter: 24 mm

Weight: 5.19 grams

Obverse: Radiate, draped, and cuirassed bust right

Reverse: Radiate / Luna driving biga of oxen left

Reference: RIC IV 256c; RSC 294a

Other: 6h ... RIC … darkly toned, light porosity and deposits. Scarce

Ex-stevex6

 

Caracalla. As Caesar, AR Denarius (below)

Struck AD 201-202

AD 196-198

Rome mint

Diameter: 18 mm

Weight: 3.17 grams

Obverse: Laureate and draped bust right

Reverse: ADVENT AVGG, galley left; signum and aquila at stern

Reference: RIC IV 120; RSC 3

Other: 6h ... VF, lightly toned

Ex-stevex6 (now a Zumbly coin) … from the Dr. George Spradling Collection

 

Edited July 15, 2022 by Steve

[kapphnwn]

Denarius of Caracalla Rome 213 AD Obv Head right laureate Rv. Moneta stg left holdind scales and cornucopia RIC 236 3.67 grms 18 mm Photo by W. Hansen

What drew me to this coin is the rather fierce expression seen on the face of Caracalla. He actually looks angry. Not all of his portraits have this look and from what I have been able to decern it was used during a brief period while he was sole emperor.   

[LONGINUS]

Great coin, @thenickelguy!

It looks as though it has seen a lot of history. When I hold a coin like that in my hand, my imagination runs wild, thinking about the many ancient hands who carried it, used it, and what they may have purchased with it.

Here is my one and only Caracalla in his youth receiving an intense gaze from a statue of his older self.

[Roman Collector]

Cool provincial, @thenickelguy! Severan coins are fun -- there are hundreds of Imperial issues and thousands of provincial ones. They could keep one occupied for a lifetime.

Here's one of my favorite Caracalla denarii. He looks like a real thug.


Caracalla AD 198-217.
Roman AR Denarius 3.37 g, 19.7 mm.
Rome mint, AD 211.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head, right.
Rev: INDVLG FECVNDAE, Julia Domna as Indulgentia, wearing polos, seated left on cerule chair, extending right hand and holding scepter.
Refs: RIC 214; BMCRE 73; RCV 6805.

[Severus Alexander]

Caracalla coins are awesome, congrats!  I have a wee little Caracalla from Nikopolis with Telesphoros, a Celtic god adopted into the Greek pantheon as part of a healing trio.