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Gaius (Caligula). AD 37-41. Æ Sestertius (36.5mm, 28.56 g, 5h). Rome mint. Struck AD 37-38. C • CAESAR • AVG • GERMANICVS • PON • M • TR • POT, laureate head left / AGRIPPINA on left, DRVSILLA above, IVLIA on right, S C in exergue, Gaius' three sisters standing facing: Agrippina (as Securitas), head right, holding cornucopia in right hand and leaning on column, and placing left hand on shoulder of Drusilla (as Concordia), head left, holding patera in right hand and cornucopia in left; on right, Julia (as Fortuna), head left, holding rudder in right hand and cornucopia in left. RIC I 33; BMCRE 36-7; BN 47-9. Wonderful reddish-green patina. EF. Very rare and in superb condition for the issue. A lovely portrait and a finely detailed reverse composition.
From the PLZ Collection. Ex Gasvoda Collection (Part II, Numismatica Ars Classica 94, 6 October 2016), lot 96; The Millennia Collection (Goldberg 46, 26 May 2008), lot 85; Numismatica Ars Classica 29 (11 May 2005), lot 472.
One of the most iconic sesterti in Roman history, I was thrilled to finally acquire this particularly high grade example. The reverse always reminds me of the Three Graces sculptures, especially the sculpture I remember from the Ostia museum. (PLZ)
The coinage of Caligula departs sharply from the simple and static issues of his predecessor, Tiberius. His themes largely focus on his family and his inherited right to rule. His immediate family all make appearances: Divus Augustus (grandfather), Germanicus (father), Agrippina (mother), brothers Nero and Drusus, and his three sisters Agrippina the Younger, Drusilla, and Julia Livilla. The relationship between Caligula and his sisters draws much commentary from the ancient sources. Both Suetonius and Josephus describe the relations as incestuous, with Caligula’s favorite purported to be Drusilla. Whether these tales are true or not, the sestertius depicting the three sisters, as offered here, was certainly shocking to contemporary Romans in its overt celebration of the emperor’s fondness for his female siblings. The graceful figures of each sister are shown in the guise of the goddesses Securitas (Agrippina), Concordia (Drusilla), and Fortuna (Julia Livilla). Since each sister is named, there is no mistaking their identity. The type would appear twice, once in AD 37/8 and again in AD 39/40.
Drusilla would tragically die of an illness in June of 38 AD, plunging Caligula into violent grief. Relations with his surviving sisters quickly cooled, and both would be sent into exile after their alleged involvement in a purported plot to overthrow Caligula led by Drusilla’s husband, Marcus Lepidus. Naturally, at this point the production of the three-sisters sestertius terminated.
The example offered here is surely one the best surviving examples of the type, with a strong portrait of Caligula, a detailed depiction of the three ladies in their diaphanous finery, and possessing a marvelous reddish-green patina.
The final winners of all CNG Feature Auction 132 lots will be determined at the live online sale that will be held on 18-19 May 2026.
CNG Feature Auction 132 – Session One – Lot 1-318 will be held Monday morning, 18 May 2026 beginning at 9:00 AM ET.
Winning bids are subject to a 22.5% buyer's fee for bids placed on this website and 25% for all others.
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