Your coin is
Pick AMNG I, 1, no. 1559 (
cf. no. 1324 for Septimius).
I have the corresponding
type for
Plautilla:
• 23 08 02 AE 26
Nicopolis ad Istrum.
Aurelius Gallus.
Plautilla,
bust to r. PhOVL PLAV TILLA SEBAS.
Rev.,
Caracalla in full
military regalia, the
paludamentum hanging from
his shoulders, standing near frontal,
head to l., leaning on spear (probably) in
his left, proffering something not struck in
his right. VPA
AVR GALLOV
NEIKOPO PROS ISTR[O?]in ever smaller letters, continuous all round. Not known to
Pick,
AMNG I, 1.
Note that Plautilla's
reverse die is not the same as Septimius's no. 1324 for Septimius, but yours may be that die, since at no. 1324
Pick says that the
field in front of the Emperor is unclear; perhaps there is a tripod standing in front of him.
And, just perhaps, there might be such traces on yours. The
reverse legend of the SS and
Car is VP
AVR GALLOV
NIKOPOLIT and in
exergue PROS I.
Pick knew Septimius's only from a single specimen in Belgrade. Plautilla's
reverse not only has a different
rev. legend, but it is (at best) unclear whether the emperor on hers held an
orb.
I thought that
Plautilla might have the Young
Augustus; the same
obv. die for
Caracalla as on yours is used, e.g., with the
reverse showing the emperor, unbearded, on horseback with a cowering enemy.
• 10 06 04 AE 26 9.31g
axis 6:00
Nicopolis ad Istrum. Issued by Gallus.
Caracalla, laureate,
head to r. AV. K. M.
AVR. ANTONINOS (
prob. not EI).
Rev., the emperor with fluttering cape, probbly brandishing spear, on horseback galloping over the body of a fallen captive (a stock group, going back to, e.g., the
stele of Dexileos of 394 BC). VP A VR GALLOV NIKOPOLITON (the N uncertain) and in
exergue PROS ISTR. Although the
portrait is in the manner of the Tertullus issues, the
reverse legend is certain. The punctuated
obverse abbreviations exist both for Tertullus (
Pick 1518, 1524-1526, with -inos) and for Gallus (
Pick 1535, with -einos, and 1541,
et al.,with -inos). I cannot find the
reverse type for
Caracalla, or for
his father and wife, who may share
his reverses, in
Pick.
Nor can I find the long
legend of the
reverse in
Varbanov (he does not mention points) or its subject.
The references to
Varbanov above are to the
Bulgarian edition; I haven't checked the English yet.
Pat L.
P.S. I do have a
Caracalla, such as it is (a placemarker), with the different obvverse die, noted above.
• 08 10 02 AE 26
Nicopolis ad Istrum. Issued by Gallus.
Caracalla, laureate,
bust (with cloak over armor) to r. [AV K] M AV ANTONINOS.
Rev., the Emperor standing, laureate, in armor and
military cloak (falling behind), facing l., holding
orb in
his outstretched right hand, resting on
his spear held in
his left. VP AV GALLOV NIKOPOL[IT PROS I].
Pick,
AMNG I, 1, p. 408, no. 1559, where Pick's
cf. 1324 is to Gallus's issue for Septimius with exactly the same kind of
reverse type. The
Caracalla obverse is like that for
his no. 1539, with
Apollo Sauroktonos reverse, and several others.
