Plautilla, Augusta 202 - 22 January 205 A.D., Wife of Caracalla

Plautilla was the daughter of the immensely wealthy and powerful Praetorian Prefect Plautianus. She was married to Caracalla in 202 A.D., to both partners' mutual disgust. Their hatred for one another was so intense that they lived in different palaces and the marriage was likely never consummated. After the fall and execution of her father in 205, Plautilla was exiled to the Lipari islands. After seven years of suffering, Caracalla had her executed in 212 A.D.

Also see ERIC - Plautilla.

References

Banti, A. & L. Simonetti. Corpus Nummorum Romanorum. (Florence, 1972-1979).
Calicó, E. The Roman Avrei, Vol. II: From Didius Julianus to Constantius I, 193 AD - 335 AD. (Barcelona, 2003).
Cayón, J. Los Sestercios del Imperio Romano, Vol. III: De Marco Aurelio a Caracalla (Del 161 d.C. al 217 d.C.). (Madrid, 1984).
Cohen, H. Description historique des monnaies frappées sous l'Empire Romain, Vol. 4: Septimius Severus to Maximinus Thrax. (Paris, 1884).
Mattingly, H., E. Sydenham & C. Sutherland. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Vol. IV: From Pertinax to Uranius Antoninus. (London, 1986).
Mattingly, H. & R. Carson. Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum, Vol. 5: Pertinax to Elagabalus. (London, 1950).
Robinson, A. Roman Imperial Coins in the Hunter Coin Cabinet, University of Glasgow, Vol. III. Pertinax to Aemilian. (Oxford, 1977).
Seaby, H. & Sear, D. Roman Silver Coins, Vol. III, Pertinax to Balbinus and Pupienus. (London, 1982).
Sear, D. Roman Coins and Their Values, Vol. II: The Accession of Nerva to the Overthrow of the Severan Dynasty AD 96 - AD 235. (London, 2002).
Vagi, D. Coinage and History of the Roman Empire. (Sidney, 1999).

Obverse Legends

PLAVTILLAAVG
PLAVTILLAAVGVSTA
PLAVTILLAEAVGVSTAE

The complete series of Plautilla's denari from the Rome mint

Based on a discussion board post by Potator II - https://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=59225.msg368569#msg368569.

Plautilla's Rome mint denarii used two obverse legends: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE (a) in 202, and PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA (b) soon after.

There are five main portrait types for Plautilla's denarii at the Rome mint in the short period they were issued (from AD 202 to 205). All are draped busts right.

A - A juvenile girl, hair coiled in horizontal ridges and fastened in bun in high on the back of her head.
B - A young woman (usually attractive), hair coiled in vertical ridges, with bun low on the back of her head.
C - A thinner face (sometimes stern), hair in vertical ridges, no bun, braid loop on the back of her neck.
D - Face similar to C, but hair in waves (no ridges), right ear showing
E - Face similar to C, mid-length hair in waves (no ridges), covering her ears

And also there are seven different reverses.

1 - CONCORDIAE AETERNAE
2 - PROPAGO IMPERI
3 - CONCORDIA AVGG
4 - CONCORDIA FELIX
5 - PIETAS AVGG
6 - VENVS VICTRIX
7 - DIANA LVCIFERA

Not every combination exists, but some of the above reverses can be shared by several obverse portraits. This means that some combinations are rarer than others (one can find my conclusions about this in a study I published, either in the review OMNI and HERE (in french, I'm afraid)) describing the fourteen different types known today. I'm proud to tell they are now all fourteen in my collection.

DICTIONARY OF ROMAN| COINS|

Please add updates or make corrections to the NumisWiki text version as appropriate.

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PLAUTILLA (Justa Fulvia) Daughter of the enormously rich Plautianus, and the unhappy wife of the cruel Caracalla, to whom she was married AD 202, her arrogant and conceited father having, it is said, given with her a dowry which would have sufficed to portion off fifty queens. This young Empress had a fine figure, regular features, and might have been esteemed a beauty, but for the imperious manner in which she behaved to everybody, not excepting even her husband, who soon returned her haughtiness with deadly hatred. At the instigation of Caracalla, she was banished by Sept. Severus to the isle of Lipari, where, after languishing miserably amidst constant alarms and total privations till the commencement of her husband's reign, she was assassinated by his order AD 212 (after seven years suffering), along with a daughter whom she had by this union, and whom the same execrable tyrant caused to be slain as the companion of her exile. The coins of Plautilla are extremely rare in gold, but common in silver, with exception of some reverses. First brass are the rarest, second and third brass not so scarce. Some silver pieces of this Empress represent her with Caracalla. Her name and title on Latin coins is thus inscribed - PLAVTILLA AVG or PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE.

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