Owner Comments:
You don’t have to admire a Roman Emperor to enjoy collecting their coinage. As a case in point, Emperor Caracalla (188 - 217 AD), considered one of the worst tyrants to ever sit on Rome’s throne, is relatively popular among ancient coin collectors. One fascinating aspect of Caracalla’s coinage is their evolving portraiture. As a starting point, consider the first coin in this Custom Set struck, dating from 201 AD and representing Caracalla at 10 years old, after his father Severus promoted him to serve as co-Augustus. The obverse portrait in this case projects a thoughtful youth with the promise to lead Rome into a balanced future. In contrast, consider the second coin in this Custom Set, which was struck ten years later after Caracalla murdered his younger brother Geta and emerged as sole Emperor. In this case, Caracalla is sporting an almost demonic, pathognomonic facial expression with highly accentuated facial furrows.
The contrast between the portraiture for these two coins is well beyond expectations for the progression from a young adolescent to a young adult. Since Caracalla presumably had numismatic oversight, he may have directed the portraiture change to convey his newly found dominance as sole Augustus, as well as advertise his resolve to vigorously defend his throne against all threats.
Indeed, Caracalla’s resolve was amply documented through his harsh actions. Not only did he murder his brother Geta, but he did so by tricking his mother into unknowingly luring her younger son into the fatal trap. Caracalla even used a similar ploy on a nation-wide scale, to deceive the Parthians; he played along with a marriage and peace proposal, only to launch blistering attacks when his enemy’s guard was down.
Even with all his cruel tactics, Caracalla was cunning enough to known that he could not rule by fear and strength alone – it also took money. He learned from his father Severus that it was just as important, if not more so, to maintain the troops resolve as well as his own. Following Geta’s murder, Caracalla offered his guardsmen a bonus of 2,500 denarii each to keep their loyalty and support. For good measure, he also increased the legionnaire’s salary by to 750 denarii per year, a 50% raise. These increased military outlays put a strain in the imperial coffers, and Caracalla subsequently devalued Roman currency, for example he decreased the metal content of denarii. He also introduced a new "double denarius," albeit without double the value in silver content. To help makes ends meet, in 212 AD he enacted the
Constitutio Antoniniana (commonly referred to as the Edict of Caracalla), which granted Roman citizenship to all free men and women throughout the Empire; of course, elevation in legal status also came with the obligation to pay taxes.
Caracalla also dipped into the imperial treasury to bribe Rome’s enemies. For example, in 213 AD, Caracalla set out to wage war against the fierce Germanic tribe known as the Alemanni. Caracalla achieved the objective of peace, but by doling out hefty subsidies rather than military conquest. Around this time Caracalla started to wear a golden wig arranged in German fashion and a personally designed
caracallus, a hooded cloak from which his nickname is derived. The motivation for the fashion makeover is not clear; perhaps Caracalla thought he could bond with the barbarians, making them more susceptible to bribery. In any case, for his efforts Caracalla received the title of
Germanicus Maximus, as credited on his subsequent imperial coinage including this gem mint state denarius struck in 215 AD.
This denarius features yet another portrait type for Caracalla distinct from the first two as described at the beginning of these Owner’s Comments. According the first reference cited below, this particular portrait is considered “Type 4.” he portrait type projects a countenance that is less harsh than its predecessor, yet still stern and strong. Notably, the furrowed brow has given way to a more imperial visage. Completing the obverse is the inscription ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, denoting Augustus Antoninus Pius (the new name he took upon his ascension), and the new agnoment received after the campaign in Germania.
During the German tour, besides paying off barbarians, Caracalla also took the opportunity to seek healing – his physical and mental state had been in decline ever since he murdered Geta. To this end, Caracalla visited the shrine of Grannus, the local Celtic deity associated with healing and hot springs. Grannus was also identified with the Greco-Roman god Apollo. Interestingly, Apollo appears on the verso of this denarius, holding a laurel branch and a lyre, perhaps an allusion to the deity’s healing aspect and Caracalla’s visit to the shrine of Grannus. In any case, the visit didn’t help. The gods reportedly rejected the offerings, deeming it too late to turn the Emperor from the dark side.
Rather than redemption, Caracalla ultimately received retribution. In 217 AD, an officer of his own personal bodyguard caught Caracalla with his pants down, literally – the Emperor was assassinated while he was relieving himself.
Additional Reading: F Leitmeir, Between Tradition and Innovation: The Visual Representation of Severan Emperors, in: E. de Sena (ed.),
The Roman Empire during the Severan Dynasty. Case Studies in History, Art, Architecture, Economy and Literature, Gorgias Press, 2013, pp 465–492.
Additional Reading: G. Halabi, “Caracalla from Innocence to Villainy: As Recorded by his Coin Engravers.”
Coin Details: ROMAN EMPIRE, Caracalla, 215 AD, Rome Mint, AR Denarius (3.32 g), NGC Grade: Gem MS, Strike: 5/5, Surface: 5/5, Obverse: Laureate head right, ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, Reverse: Apollo, naked but for cloak, standing left holding branch and lyre on altar, P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Reference: Cohen 282; BMC 107; RIC IVi 254; SEAR RCV II (2002), #6835, page 522.