Silver Denarius of Caracalla RIC 196

Silver Denarius (19mm, 3.18g) Struck AD 212 Rome

Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT Laureate head right

Rev: P M TR P XV COS III P P Salus seated left, holding cornucopiae and pater, feed serpent coiled around altar.

RIC IV i 196, Sear 6826
ex. Beast Coins

The Front (Obverse): The Emperor's Selfie

The front features a portrait of Caracalla looking quite sharp with a laurel wreath on his head. The Latin text wrapping around him reads:

ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT

• ANTONINVS PIVS: This was his official royal name (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus). "Pius" means pious or dutiful. Fun fact: "Caracalla" was actually just a nickname because he loved wearing a specific type of Gallic hooded cloak!
• AVG: Short for Augustus, which basically means "The Emperor."
• BRIT: Short for Britannicus. This was a massive brag! It tells everyone that he (along with his late father, Septimius Severus) successfully campaigned and won military victories way up in Britain.

The Back (Reverse): Pure Propaganda

Ancient Roman coins were the billboards of their day, used to spread political messages. The back of this coin is all about wishing for good health and safety.

The text is a string of his official titles and a timestamp:

P M TR P XV COS III P P

• P M (Pontifex Maximus): He’s the High Priest of Rome.
• TR P XV: He has held the power of the Tribune for 15 years.
• COS III: He has been chosen as Consul (the highest elected office) three times.
• P P (Pater Patriae): "Father of his Country."

The Visual Imagery: The coin shows Salus, the Roman goddess of health, cleanliness, and sanitation, sitting comfortably. She’s holding a cornucopiae (a horn of plenty, symbolizing wealth and abundance) and a patera (a shallow sacrificial bowl). She is using the bowl to feed a snake that is wrapped around an altar.

Why was this coin made in AD 212?

The context here is super juicy. Just a year earlier, in AD 211, Caracalla's father died. Caracalla was supposed to rule peacefully with his younger brother, Geta. Instead, Caracalla had Geta brutally murdered in late AD 211 so he could have the throne all to himself.

By AD 212, Caracalla really needed to stabilize the empire, win over the public, and show that things were fine. Putting Salus (Health/Safety) on his money was a message to the public: "Don't worry about that family drama, the emperor is safe, healthy, and the gods are looking out for the well-being of Rome!"