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A silver denarius of the emperor Caracalla with a reverse showing a personification of The World Coin Type: Silver denarius of Caracalla, Caesar Dec 195 - 28 Jan 198 CE, Augustus 28 Jan 198 - 8 Apr 217 CE.
Mint and Date: Rome, 210-213 CE
Size and Weight: 19mm x 20mm, 2.76g
Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT
Laureate head right, seen from behind.
Reverse: INDVLG FECVNDAE
A personification of The World, seated left on curule chair, towered, right hand extended in front, transverse sceptre held in left arm behind. (But see the note below.)
Provenance: metalreptile (eBay), November 2006
Ref: RCV (2002) 6805; RIC IV 214; BMCRE V p.370, 73.
BW Ref: 026 029 092
Click on the picture for a larger scale view of the coin
Note: This reverse is often interpreted as Julia Domna as Cybele as Indugentia. On the Forum Classical Numismatics Discussion Board, on 21 November 2006, Curtis Clay said of this coin: "I would suggest that the figure may be the World, with crown of towers, seated on a curule chair, symbol of the highest offices attainable by Roman citizens, in reference to Caracalla's extension of Roman citizenship to all inhabitants of the empire, which is designated as an act of 'Profuse Generosity'." This sounds good and would explain the legend. A reference to both Cybele and Domna might well have been intended also. Note that the towered headdress, with attached veil, is identical to that on this coin which is usually regarded as showing Domna as Cybele.
The content of this page was last updated on 22 July 2009