For this washed-out As of
Caracalla, I bought a whole 44-coin large lot in last January's
Triton sale!
I love coins that are
rare on both sides,
obv. and
rev. The
rev. of this
As is PROF
AVGG in
exergue,
PONTIF TR P XI above, S C in
field,
Caracalla on horseback right, preceded by one soldier and followed by two others. It commemorates the departure (Profectio) of the
Severan family on their British campaign in 208 AD.
This same
type occurs on
sestertii,
dupondii, and
asses of
Septimius Severus (dated TR P
XVI), and on
sestertii of
Caracalla. I never expected to find it on middle bronzes of
Caracalla, however, because he already
had two other middle-bronze
types commemorating the departure, which occurred for him only, and which I thought were
his counterparts of Severus' more elaborate
type: PROF
AVGG Caracalla on
horse r., captive before
horse, and PROF
AVGG Caracalla on
horse l., riding down enemy.
This is the first appearance of the departure
type with added soldiers on a middle-bronze of
Caracalla. The
type is overall very
rare, for only about a dozen such middle bronzes from two
rev. dies are known for Septimius, and only a couple of specimens of the
sestertius are recorded for each emperor.
As to the
obverse, this is Caracalla's only As die that adds the names
M AVR to
his usual middle-bronze
legend ANTONINVS
PIVS AVG. The list of other
rev. types that occur with this
obv. die is spectacular.
COS II Banquet of
Hercules, unique in
Paris. IOVI SOSPITATORI
Serapis in shrine, one
rev. die only, also occurring so far ONLY with this
obv. die. Then a number of other
rare and interesting
types which are shared between this
obv. die and others with the shorter, normal
obv. legend:
Caracalla on prancing
horse, dated TR P X or XI; TR P XI Galley;
VICTORIAE AVGG Victory in
biga;
RESTITVTOR VRBIS Roma seated.
The new PROF
AVGG type is apparently the latest to have been coupled with this
obv. die, which came into use in 207 and remained active at the beginning of 208.
Fortunately there were some other desirable and nicer coins in that same
Triton lot!
