Silver Denarius of Caracalla (about 1,810 years ago)

$175.00

This silver denarius features Emperor Caracalla, born Lucius Septimius Bassianus and later renamed Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, who ruled the Roman Empire first jointly with his father Septimius Severus and brother Geta, then alone from 211 until his assassination in 217 CE. This high-grade example showcases the coinage of a controversial emperor known for his military campaigns and for granting Roman citizenship to all free men throughout the empire.

Coin Description:

Front side: The obverse displays the laureate (wreath-crowned) bust of Caracalla facing right, typically shown with a short beard, stern expression, and strong resemblance to his father. The surrounding Latin inscription would state his name and imperial titles.
Back side: Though not specified, the reverse would typically depict Roman deities (often Mars or Jupiter), personifications of virtues, military themes reflecting his campaigns, or other imperial propaganda imagery with accompanying Latin text.

Technical Details:

Silver composition (AR)
Denarius denomination (standard silver coin of the Roman monetary system)
Weight: Approximately 3-3.5 grams
Size: Approximately 18-20mm in diameter
NGC Grade: XF (Extremely Fine) - indicating excellent preservation with minor wear
Date of minting: 198-217 CE (spanning his time as Caesar and sole Augustus)

Historical Significance: Caracalla became sole emperor after murdering his brother Geta in 211 CE. His legacy includes extensive military campaigns, construction of the massive Baths of Caracalla in Rome, and the Constitutio Antoniniana (212 CE), which granted Roman citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire. Though presented as generous, this edict primarily aimed to increase tax revenue. Caracalla was assassinated in 217 CE while traveling near Carrhae (modern Harran, Turkey).

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Coin Description:

Front side: The obverse displays the laureate (wreath-crowned) bust of Caracalla facing right, typically shown with a short beard, stern expression, and strong resemblance to his father. The surrounding Latin inscription would state his name and imperial titles.
Back side: Though not specified, the reverse would typically depict Roman deities (often Mars or Jupiter), personifications of virtues, military themes reflecting his campaigns, or other imperial propaganda imagery with accompanying Latin text.

Technical Details:

Silver composition (AR)
Denarius denomination (standard silver coin of the Roman monetary system)
Weight: Approximately 3-3.5 grams
Size: Approximately 18-20mm in diameter
NGC Grade: XF (Extremely Fine) - indicating excellent preservation with minor wear
Date of minting: 198-217 CE (spanning his time as Caesar and sole Augustus)

Coin Description:

Front side: The obverse displays the laureate (wreath-crowned) bust of Caracalla facing right, typically shown with a short beard, stern expression, and strong resemblance to his father. The surrounding Latin inscription would state his name and imperial titles.
Back side: Though not specified, the reverse would typically depict Roman deities (often Mars or Jupiter), personifications of virtues, military themes reflecting his campaigns, or other imperial propaganda imagery with accompanying Latin text.

Technical Details:

Silver composition (AR)
Denarius denomination (standard silver coin of the Roman monetary system)
Weight: Approximately 3-3.5 grams
Size: Approximately 18-20mm in diameter
NGC Grade: XF (Extremely Fine) - indicating excellent preservation with minor wear
Date of minting: 198-217 CE (spanning his time as Caesar and sole Augustus)

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus (born Lucius Septimius Bassianus, 4 April 188 – 8 April 217), better known by his nickname Caracalla (/ˌkærəˈkælə/),^[3] was Roman emperor from 198 to 217 AD, first serving as nominal co-emperor under his father and then ruling alone after 211 AD. He was a member of the Severan dynasty, the elder son of Emperor Septimius Severus and Empress Julia Domna. Severus proclaimed Caracalla co-ruler in 198, doing the same with his other son Geta in 209. The two brothers briefly shared power after their father's death in 211, but Caracalla soon had Geta murdered by the Praetorian Guard and became sole ruler of the Roman Empire. Julia Domna had a significant share in governance, since Caracalla found administration to be mundane. His reign featured domestic instability and external invasions by the Germanic peoples.

Caracalla issued the Antonine Constitution (Latin: Constitutio Antoniniana), also known as the Edict of Caracalla, which granted Roman citizenship to all free men throughout the Roman Empire. The edict gave all the enfranchised men Caracalla's adopted praenomen and nomen: "Marcus Aurelius". Other landmarks of his reign were the construction of the Baths of Caracalla, the second-largest bathing complex in the history of Rome, the introduction of a new Roman currency named the antoninianus, a sort of double denarius, and the massacres he ordered, both in Rome and elsewhere in the empire. In 216, Caracalla began a campaign against the Parthian Empire. He did not see this campaign through to completion due to his assassination by a disaffected soldier in 217. Macrinus succeeded him as emperor three days later.