Pat,
Caracalla's ninth
largesse is datable to early 214 by the
sestertius rev. type, LIB AVG
VIIII P M TR P XVII
IMP III
COS IIII P P S C, Platform Scene,
BMC pl. 75.15.
If you
work out the sequence of the
denarius types, it can be shown that the
LIBERALITAS AVG VIIII type also must date to early 214. (One immediate clue is that there are no
antoniniani of the
type, so it predates the introduction of that
denomination in mid 215.)
Despite the number
VIIII,
Caracalla distributed only eight largesses, the majority of them in conjunction with
his father and/or brother:
Caracalla's 1st = Severus' 2nd,
Spring 197, departure on
Parthian expedition.
LIBERALITAS AVG II for
Severus only.
Caracalla's 2nd = Severus' 3rd, late 202, return to
Rome,
Decennalia, Caracalla's marriage to
Plautilla. LIB AVG III
P M TR P X
COS III P P for
Severus only.
Caracalla's 3rd = Severus' 4th, mid 203, occasion uncertain, possibly birth of a baby girl to
Caracalla and
Plautilla. IIII LIBERALITAS
AVGG for
Caracalla and
Severus.
Caracalla's 4th = Severus' 5th, early 205, joint consulship of
Caracalla and
Geta. LIBERALITAS
AVGG V for
Severus and
Caracalla,
LIBERALITAS AVGVSTORVM for
Geta.
Caracalla's 5th = Severus' 6th, early 208, second joint consulship of
Caracalla and
Geta,
LIBERALITAS AVG VI for
Severus,
Caracalla, and
Geta.
Caracalla's 6th = Geta's 5th, 211, Return to
Rome from
Britain after death of
Severus, inauguration of joint reign. LIBERALITAS
AVGG VI ET V for both emperors, plus standing
type numbered VI for
Caracalla and V for
Geta.
Caracalla's 7th, probably mid-212, departure on
German expedition. Having disposed of
Geta,
Caracalla decided to claim Severus' FIRST
largesse of 193, distributed before
Caracalla became
Caesar, as one of
his own. Therefore he called this
largesse of 212
LIBERALITAS AVG VIII! There are no coins of
Caracalla commemorating a seventh
largesse, since the unique
denarius of this
type in
Vienna, cited in
Cohen and
RIC, has merely been altered in modern times from
LIBERALITAS AVG VIII.
Vienna also happens to possess an unaltered
denarius from THE SAME
REV. DIE! (my unpublished observation)
Finally Caracalla's eighth
largesse, early 214, return to
Rome?, commemorated as
his ninth as on your coin.
Antoninus Pius commemorates nine true largesses on
his coins, though that includes the seventh of
Hadrian that
Hadrian distributed upon elevating Antoninus to the Caesarship in Feb. 138.