Obverse: M AVR ANTONINVS CAES; Draped Bust
of Caracalla Facing Right
Reverse: SEVERI AVG PII FIL; A Lituus, Secespita,
Praeferculum, Simpulum, and Aspergillum
Caracalla was born April 4,188 in Lyon, where
his father, Septimius Severus, was serving as
governor of the province of Gallia Lugdunensis
under Emperor Commodus. His name was
changed from Lucius Septimius Bassianus to
Marcus Aurelius Antoninus at the age of seven.
The name change was a way of connecting the
family of Severus to that of the Antonines. The
nickname Caracalla was taken from the name of
a type of cloak popularized by the emperor, but
this nickname, originally derisive, was never used
officially. From the time of his name change to
Antoninus, Caracalla was the designated heir of
Severus. Less than three years later he was
proclaimed emperor, officially joining his father
as co-rulers of the empire. At the age of 14, he
was married to the daughter of the praetorian
prefect Plautianus, but the teenager despised his
wife. The marriage ended less than three years
later and there were no children. Upon his
father’s death in 211, Caracalla ruled the empire
jointly with his brother, Geta, until he was
murdered later the same year, leaving Caracalla
in sole control at the age of 23. The year 212
saw a flurry of administrative reforms under the
young emperor's leadership. Soldiers received
increases in pay and in legal rights, but the most
noteworthy change was the bestowal of Roman
citizenship upon all free residents of the empire.
Construction was also well underway on the
magnificent baths in Rome that would bear the
emperor's name. In 217, Caracalla was
assassinated on the road back from his military
campaigns against the Partians in the east.
Although Caracalla remains a rather dubious
figure, historians often overlook the energetic,
reformist and even intellectual character of
Caracalla's reign. The changes brought about in
the little more than five years of Caracalla's sole
rule would have long-lasting implications
throughout the empire for generations to come.
How many hands have touched a coin in your
pocket or purse? What eras and lands have the
coin traversed on its journey into our
possession? As we reach into our pockets to pull
out some change, we rarely hesitate to think of
who might have touched the coin before us, or
where the coin will venture to after it leaves our
hands. More than money, coins are a symbol of
the state that struck them, of a specific time and
location, whether contemporary currencies or
artifacts of a long forgotten empire. This
stunning hand-struck coin reveals an expertise
of craftsmanship and intricate sculptural detail
that is often lacking in contemporary machine-
made currencies. The reverse, depicting an
assortment of priestly implements, refers to
Caracalla's appointment to the priesthood in
conjunction with his being decalred Caesar. This
ancient coin is a memorial to an emperor’s reign
passed from the hands of civilization to
civilization, from generation to generation that
still appears as vibrant today as the day it was
struck.
- (C.5304)
|
