New coin - a top-quality Caracalla denarius

[CPK]

I acquired this coin a few months ago as a new addition to my "quality" collection of Roman Imperial denarii. The nice thing about Caracalla's coins is that they are quite common and it's not difficult to find excellent specimens. This one checks most of the boxes: great portrait, well centered on a flan of good metal, size, and weight, and an interesting, slightly unusual reverse.

Thanks for looking, and please feel free to comment and/or post your own Caracalla coins, Asclepius coins, or anything else!

CARACALLA, AD 198-217
AR Denarius (18.68mm, 3.69g, 7h)
Struck AD 215. Rome mint
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head of Caracalla right
Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Asclepius, nude to waist, standing front, head facing, holding serpent-entwined wand; to left, Telesphorus; to right, globe
References: RIC IV 253 var. (Ascl. hd. facing), RCV 6834 var. (same, and Telesphorus)
Lightly toned and of good weight. Asclepius was the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing and was particularly honored on the coinage of Caracalla.

[Roman Collector]

5 minutes ago, CPK said:

I acquired this coin a few months ago as a new addition to my "quality" collection of Roman Imperial denarii. The nice thing about Caracalla's coins is that they are quite common and it's not difficult to find excellent specimens. This one checks most of the boxes: great portrait, well centered on a flan of good metal, size, and weight, and an interesting, slightly unusual reverse.

Thanks for looking, and please feel free to comment and/or post your own Caracalla coins, Asclepius coins, or anything else!

CARACALLA, AD 198-217
AR Denarius (18.68mm, 3.69g, 7h)
Struck AD 215. Rome mint
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head of Caracalla right
Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Asclepius, nude to waist, standing front, head facing, holding serpent-entwined wand; to left, Telesphorus; to right, globe
References: RIC IV 253 var. (Ascl. hd. facing), RCV 6834 var. (same, and Telesphorus)
Lightly toned and of good weight. Asclepius was the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing and was particularly honored on the coinage of Caracalla.

That's lovely! I really like that reverse type, particularly as it includes Telesphorus. Tradition is that Caracalla was a bit of a hypochondriac and very worried about his health. Thus, he had a lot of coins issued with various healing deities on them. Here's another healing deity -- Serapis.


Caracalla, 198-217 CE.
Roman AR denarius, 2.9g, 19mm, 6h.
Rome, issue 10, 217 CE.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head right.
Rev: P M TRP XX COS IIII PP; Serapis, wearing polos on head, standing facing, head left, holding wreath and scepter.
Refs: RIC 289c; BMCRE 188; Cohen/RSC 382; RCV 6846; Hill 1586.

[CPK]

And incidentally, with this latest addition I've now got the whole family!

 

SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, AD 193-211
AR Denarius (19.71mm, 3.70g, 12h)
Struck AD 209. Rome mint
Obverse: SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head of Septimius Severus right
Reverse: P M TR P XVII COS III P P, Neptune standing left, foot on rock, right hand resting on upper leg, left hand holding long trident
References: RIC IV 228, RCV 6346
A beautiful specimen, choice EF with lustrous fields, perfectly centered on a large and heavy flan.
From the Mark Salton Collection (1914-2005)

 

JULIA DOMNA as Augusta, AD 193-211
AR Denarius (19.61mm, 3.10g, 6h)
Struck AD 198. Rome mint
Obverse: IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust of Julia Domna right
Reverse: MATER DEVM, Cybele seated left on throne flanked by two lions, holding branch in extended right hand and scepter in left hand, resting left arm on drum set on left knee
References: RIC IV 564 (S), RCV 6593
A scarce type, lightly toned, with an attractive portrait.

 

CARACALLA, AD 198-217
AR Denarius (18.68mm, 3.69g, 7h)
Struck AD 215. Rome mint
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head of Caracalla right
Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Asclepius, nude to waist, standing front, head facing, holding serpent-entwined wand; to left, Telesphorus; to right, globe
References: RIC IV 253 var. (Ascl. hd. facing), RCV 6834 var. (same, and Telesphorus)
Lightly toned and of good weight. Asclepius was the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing and was particularly honored on the coinage of Caracalla.

 

GETA as Augustus, AD 209-211
AR Denarius (19.14mm, 3.39g, 7h)
Struck AD 211. Rome mint
Obverse: P SEPT GETA PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate and bearded bust of Geta right
Reverse: TR P II-I COS II P P, Providentia (?), standing facing, head left, holding torch in right hand and globe in left
References: RIC IV 81 (S), RCV 7252
Lightly toned. A scarce type, featuring an outstanding late-style portrait of the ill-fated young Augustus.

[ominus1]

now that's a 'q

1 hour ago, CPK said:

"quality" collection

a fine addition....mine is made up of some 'quality' and some that are recognizable slugs and all in between...( i need to take another 'family portrait)

[Nerosmyfavorite68]

I somehow almost missed this.  That's a very handsome Caracalla denarius; my favorite Severan, by the way.    I'd like to acquire a bearded Geta, especially a sestertius, but haven't gotten around to it.  The family set is truly something to behold! 

Your purchase is a most discerning buy.

[Curtisimo]

Beautiful new addition and great Severan Family Collection, Connor.

Here are some of my Severan examples.

Roman Empire
Septimius Severus
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck AD 206
(2.9 gm, 19.5 mm)
Obv.:  SEVERVS PIVS AVG, laureate head right
Rev.:  LAETITIA TEMPORVM, the spina of the Circus Maximus decorated as a ship facing left, with the turning posts at its prow and stern, a sail mounted on the central obelisk, and the spina's other monuments visible in between; above the ship, four quadrigas racing left; below, seven animals: an ostrich at left and a bear at right; between them a lion and a lioness chasing a wild ass and a panther attacking a bison
Ref.:  RIC 274; BMC 343.
Ex Paul Tinchant Collection (1893-1981†)(auctioned under the pseudonym “Robert J. Graham”), Jacques Schulman Auction 243, lot 1972 (June 8-10, 1966); Ex ROMA ÆTERNA Collection (Horst Grunmann, a.k.a. chinamul), Gut-Lynt Auction 13 Part II, lot 1638 (October 1, 2023)

Roman Empire
Caracalla
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 206
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 3.18 g
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate head right
Rev.: PONTIF TR P VIIII COS II; Mars in military dress standing left, right hand resting on shield, left hand holding spear
Ref.: RIC IV 83
Ex Otto Helbing Nachf. 86, lot 1413 (Nov. 25, 1942); Ex Gorney & Mosch Auction 241, lot 3068 (Oct. 12, 2016); Ex arnoldoe Collection, AMCC 2, lot 165 (Nov. 9, 2019)

Roman Empire
Geta as Caesar
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 198-200
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 2.33 g
Obv.: L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES. Bareheaded and draped bust right.
Rev.: FELICITAS TEMPOR. Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopia.
Ref.: RIC IVa 2
Ex AMCC 1 (Dec. 1, 2018)

[ambr0zie]

A great portrait. 

My favorite imperial Caracalla is an antoninianus, as I always wanted this denomination from him. A coin I like for a multitude of reasons. 

22,9 mm, 4,7 g.
Caracalla AD 198-217. AR antoninianus. Rome. 217.
ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, bust of Caracalla, radiate, draped, right / P M TR P XX COS IIII P P, Serapis, wearing polos on head, standing left, holding corn-ears in wreath (?) in right hand and sceptre in left hand
RIC IV Caracalla 289d; RSC 383b.

[expat]

Fantastic addition to complete the immediate family group. Here is my Family group

[-monolith-]

I haven't photographed any of my Caracalla's yet (auction photos) but here are a few in my collection:

 

[Al Kowsky]

I have many Roman provincial tetradrachms of Caracalla in my collection, posted below are a few of my favorites ☺️.

SYRIA, Antioch. Caracalla, AD 198-217. Billon Tetradrachm: 15.58 gm., 27.5 mm, 6 h. McAlee 679, Prieur 221.

SELEUCIS & PIERIA, Emesa. Caracalla, AD 198-217. Billon Tetradrachm: 13.04 gm, 26.32 mm, 1 h. Prieur 954.

JUDAEA, Caesarea Maritima. Caracalla, AD 198-217. Billon Tetradrachm: 15.24 gm, 26 mm, 1 h. Prieur 1663A/1665 (obv. & rev.).

 

Edited September 7 by Al Kowsky
spelling correction

[singig]

This is my best Caracalla portrait , I wouldn't say the same about the reverse.

Caracalla Denarius. RIC 307    
ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head right / 
MARTI PROPVGNATORI, Mars hurrying left, carrying spear and trophy.

[MrMonkeySwag96]

[Coinmaster]

What I always found fascinating, is the 'frown' of Caracalla. In first I saw in this an excellent resemblance with some of the cruel deeds he performed (like killing his brother). This must be a thug-like emperor! When reading up on Caracalla, his facial expression seemed not to represent his character but his relation to his army. It's all about appearance. Who want to like more about it, read this article from Charlotte Mann. I also found two downloadable books from Caracalla and Septimius Severus, see here and here. I'm at the lookout for a coin from Caracalla with this typical frown. Not sure yet about the reverse side, suggestions are welcome!

 

Edited September 8 by Coinmaster

[Limes]

19 hours ago, CPK said:

I acquired this coin a few months ago as a new addition to my "quality" collection of Roman Imperial denarii. The nice thing about Caracalla's coins is that they are quite common and it's not difficult to find excellent specimens. This one checks most of the boxes: great portrait, well centered on a flan of good metal, size, and weight, and an interesting, slightly unusual reverse.

Thanks for looking, and please feel free to comment and/or post your own Caracalla coins, Asclepius coins, or anything else!

CARACALLA, AD 198-217
AR Denarius (18.68mm, 3.69g, 7h)
Struck AD 215. Rome mint
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head of Caracalla right
Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Asclepius, nude to waist, standing front, head facing, holding serpent-entwined wand; to left, Telesphorus; to right, globe
References: RIC IV 253 var. (Ascl. hd. facing), RCV 6834 var. (same, and Telesphorus)
Lightly toned and of good weight. Asclepius was the Greco-Roman god of medicine and healing and was particularly honored on the coinage of Caracalla.

That's a great high quality addition @CPK! I absolutely enjoy Severan issues. Lot's of interesting reverses, and often in good quality and affordable. Below you may find my coins of Caracalla. 

18 hours ago, ominus1 said:

now that's a 'q

a fine addition....mine is made up of some 'quality' and some that are recognizable slugs and all in between...( i need to take another 'family portrait)

Envious of your Domna Vesta issue @ominus1. I'm on the look out for that type! 

My issues, starting with a young Caracalla:

A teenager, with a fantastic reverse. The reverse also shown by @Curtisimo, but with Septimius on the obverse:

A very nice looking denarius, with Cerberus on the reverse:

High quality ant:

And lastly, two sestertii. The last one in lower quality, but the reverse is fantastic historically:

[Al Kowsky]

5 hours ago, Coinmaster said:

What I always found fascinating, is the 'frown' of Caracalla. In first I saw in this an excellent resemblance with some of the cruel deeds he performed (like killing his brother). This must be a thug-like emperor! When reading up on Caracalla, his facial expression seemed not to represent his character but his relation to his army. It's all about appearance. Who want to like more about it, read this article from Charlotte Mann. I also found two downloadable books from Caracalla and Septimius Severus, see here and here. I'm at the lookout for a coin from Caracalla with this typical frown. Not sure yet about the reverse side, suggestions are welcome!

 

Coinmaster, Your book recommendations are excellent, especially SEPTIMIUS SEVERUS, THE AFRICAN EMPEROR, BY Anthony R. Birley. I bought a copy of this book over 20 years ago, it's the best book available on Severus & family.

         

Well struck examples of a Caracalla with a mature portrait from the Rome mint can be very expensive. The provincial mint at Antioch, Syria struck excellent mature portrait coins of Caracalla & Geta, & are much less expensive than the coinage from the Rome mint 😉. Pictured below are two coins from my collection, the Caracalla tetradrachm was in the personal collection of Michel Prieur ☺️.

                                  

 

[CPK]

Thank you all for the kind words, and for sharing your own awesome Caracalla coins! I love seeing the rarities like @Curtisimo's and @Limes's LAETITIAE denarii with all the animals - the rare Vesta as from @ominus1 (Not too long ago I bid on one, but lost!) - and no Caracalla thread would be complete without @Al Kowsky's minty-fresh tetradrachms. 😉 

Great coins, everyone! 👍

[Ancient Coin Hunter]

Nice coins of Carcalla. Here is a Severan of Neptune.

 

[expat]

Two relatively recent acquisitions of the Severans

CARACALLA AR Denarius. Victoria - VICT PART MAX.
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right.
Reverse: VICT PART MAX. Victory advancing left, holding palm and wreath.
 A good example of this interesting coin, celebrating the roman victory over the Parthian empire during the reign of Septimius Severus.
RIC IV-1 144a. RSC 660. Rome mint, A.D. 204.  3,2 g - 18 mm.

Julia Domna AR Denarius.
IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / SAECVLI FELICITAS, Isis, wearing polos on head, standing right, left foot on prow, holding Horus; behind, rudder. RIC 577, RSC 174, BMC 75

[CPK]

20 minutes ago, expat said:

Two relatively recent acquisitions of the Severans

CARACALLA AR Denarius. Victoria - VICT PART MAX.
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG. Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right.
Reverse: VICT PART MAX. Victory advancing left, holding palm and wreath.
 A good example of this interesting coin, celebrating the roman victory over the Parthian empire during the reign of Septimius Severus.
RIC IV-1 144a. RSC 660. Rome mint, A.D. 204.  3,2 g - 18 mm.

Julia Domna AR Denarius.
IVLIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / SAECVLI FELICITAS, Isis, wearing polos on head, standing right, left foot on prow, holding Horus; behind, rudder. RIC 577, RSC 174, BMC 75

Nice! In particular, I like the portrait of Julia.

[-monolith-]

Here are a few Caracalla coins from my Provincial collection:

 

This portrait looks nothing like Caracalla

Province, City - Reign:  Phrygia, Peltae - Caracalla (Magistrate: Strategos Metrobios)

Denomination:  AE 22

Mint:  Peltae (198 – 217 AD)

Size:  22.0 mm 

Weight:  5.90 g

Obverse: AYT K M AY ANTΩNEI, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right

 Reverse: ΠEΛTNΩN MACTP MHTPOBIOY, Tyche standing left, holding rudder on globe and cornucopia

 References: Unpublished

 

Looks like Caracalla had a rough day

Province, City - Reign:  Cappadocia, Caesarea - Caracalla

Denomination:  AR Drachm

Mint:  Caesarea (Year 20 (K) = 212 – 213 AD)

Size:  21.31 mm 

Weight:  2.93 g

Obverse: AYK M AYPHΛI ANTΩN(EINOC) CEB Λ, Laureate head right (double struck, rotated)

 Reverse: ETK (exergue) over struck with part of base of Mount Argaeus; (MHT)PO KAICA,  Mount Argaeus, star on summit (double struck, rotated 90 degrees)

 Exergue: ETK, Year 20 (K) = 212 – 213 AD

 References: Sear GCV 2640

 

Looks like Caracalla had a really rough day

Province, City - Reign:  Bithynia, Nicaea - Caracalla

Denomination:  AE 15

Mint:  Nicaea (198 – 217 AD)

Size:  15.0 mm 

Weight:  2.10 g

Obverse: (A)NTΩΝΕΙΝΟC (AYΓΟ), Laureate head right

 Reverse: NIKAIEΩN, Prize crown containing palm branch

 References: Unpublished

[kirispupis]

Caracalla is one of a handful of Romans from whom I have multiple coins. Here's my best one.

Caracalla
AR Denarius 17.75mm 3.10g
212 CE
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, laureate head right
Reverse: P M TR P XV COS III P P. Salus seated left, holding cornucopia and feeding serpent from patera
RIC IV 196 Rome

[JayAg47]

That’s a nice portrait of a not so nice man. 

Here’s one when he was a baby! 

[Qcumbor]

Excellent OP coin @CPK, and great family snapshot.

Here's the restricted family (parents and kids) :

 

Q

 

[Anaximander]

My one and only Caracalla. 

  

Family photo!