Lot 5381

Description

Caracalla, with Septimius Severus, (A.D.198-217), silver denarius, issued 201, Rome mint, (3.34 grams), obv. laureate, draped and cuirassed bust to right of Caracalla, around ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS, rev. confronted busts of Septimius Severus and Caracalla, both cuirassed with chests facing forward, AETERNIT IMPERI around, (cf.S.6536, RIC 32, C.2, BMC 158). Very light surface pitting, otherwise extremely fine and an extremely rare variant, apparently the second known.

Ex Harlan Berk with ticket. The dealer’s ticket accompanying this coin states that on the published coins of this type, the busts of Severus and Caracalla on reverse are seen from behind, either draped and cuirassed or draped only. On this coin the busts are seen from the front, cuirassed only, with a dot indicating a Medusa head on each cuirass. According to C. Clay’s unpublished die study of the Severan dynastic denarii, cuirassed, frontal busts of Septimius and Caracalla together occur on this one reverse die only, which is actually known on a coin in Paris with an ANTONINVS AVGVSTVS obverse as on this coin. This is therefore the second known of this rare variant.