Sale: Nomos 1, Lot: 156. Estimate CHF8000.  Closing Date: Tuesday, 5 May 2009.  Sold For CHF8000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Caracalla. 198-217. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 23.66 g 1), Rome, 214. M AVREL ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right Rev. P M TR P XVII IMP III COS IIII P P / S C Caracalla, accompanied by two officers, standing right on platform, addressing officer and two soldiers standing before him on the ground below; behind them, aquila and two standards. BMC 264. Cohen 275. Hill 1423. RIC 525a. Very rare. With a lovely, emerald-green patina. Nearly extremely fine.

From the collections of a Gentleman and of Dr. E. P. Nicolas, Kampmann, 9 March 1982, 596.

The elder son of Septimius Severus was officially known as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus, and some cataloguers list him as Antoninus II, but he is usually known as Caracalla, a nickname taken from a type of Gallic cloak he liked to wear. He had been made co-emperor with his father when he was still a child in 198 and his hated younger brother Geta was made co-emperor only in 209; both ruled together after the death of Septimius in February 211, but only until late December when Caracalla had Geta murdered. Caracalla has a very bad reputation thanks to his very unpleasant character, but he was responsible for significant reforms in the coinage, for making all free residents of the empire citizens, and for raising army pay.