Anyone want a sculpture of Caracalla's head?

Any millionaires out there who want Caracalla's ugly mug in their foyer? It's up for auction.



I'll stick to coins, thanks!


Caracalla, AD 198-217.
Roman AR denarius, 2.9g, 19mm, 6h.
Rome, issue 10, AD 217.
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, laureate head right.
Rev: P M TRP XX COS IIII PP; Serapis, wearing polos on head, standing facing, head left, holding wreath and scepter.
Refs: RIC 289c; BMCRE 188; Cohen/RSC 382; RCV 6846; Hill 1586.

Let's see your Caracallas!

 

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Not the sort of person you'd like to look up at in your study.


But the bust looks admittedly better than my coin.

Mine's more a malicious looking court jester:

 

Dude looks like he’s rolling his eyes with how high up the pupils are

 

I would be shocked if that head sold for 200,000 Euro . Pictured below is another view of the head. My Tet of Caracalla compares well with the stone head, & I'm guessing both depict Caracalla at the same age. As hotwheels points out, the eyes look strange with that upward gaze . My coin shows the same thing ! Maybe the artists at that time detected early signs of his lunacy ?

 

I am less than fully convinced that this is even Caracalla. If I were to be buying a bust of the man, I would prefer one from his post-Geta period when he had what we might call more personality. Mid reign Caracalla coins even strike me as a bit insipid. For 200,000 K, I expect a classic scowl. The Louvre has a decent one and has posted the scan of it online for those with 3D printers.

 

I’d put this in my bedroom

 

I agree, a face deeply etched with age shows much more personality than the blank face of youth .

 

I’ll have to take a look at that. I created a 3D printing club at my high school last year. Would be interesting if I could combine coin collecting/history and 3D printing

 

How much is 200,000 euros in dollars ?

 

Dang. I already blew my Caracalla budget for the month :


Caracalla Æ 16
(c. 198-217 A.D.)
Syria, Seleucis & Pieria
Antiochia ad Orontem
ΑΥΤΟΚ [Μ ΑΑΝΤωΝЄ[ΙΝΟC CЄΒ], laureate head right / Large S C, A below, all within laurel wreath.
McAlee 695.
(3.29 grams / 16 mm)
eBay May 2021 $5.75 BIN

Attribution Note:
There are couple of die-matches to this specimen on acsearch. This one is for both obverse and reverse: Leu Numismatik Web Auction 15, Lot 1436, 27.02.2021
https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=7854116

And I'm with Doug - I am not entirely convinced that head is "young Caracalla." Sometimes the auction houses and museums seem to indulge in wishful thinking when it comes to identifying these to specific people.

 

A LOT!

 

Caracalla RIC IV#224

 

This guy would have been no fun to hang with... crabapple.

 

$243,000, give or take. No buyer’s fee or shipping.

- Broucheion

 

The first bust looks like the image on the second coin (18 years)
second bust looks like the last coin (29 years)

 

Whatever he looked like like, the brain inside that head was truly sick. Nero was a really nice guy compared to him.

 

Ditto. Maybe others have a better eye for this, but I find it extremely hard to distinguish the boyish portraits of Geta and Caracalla. Young Severus Alexander and Elagabalus look strikingly similar, too. I'd suspect the family resemblance was emphasized on purpose in order to show dynastic continuity.


Caracalla, Roman Empire, AR denarius, 201–206 AD, Rome mint. Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; laureate head of Caracalla r. Rev: RECTOR ORBIS, Sol or emperor standig facing, laureate, holding globe and sceptre or spear pointing down. 18mm, 3.35g. Ref: RIC IV Caracalla 141.


Caracalla, Roman Empire, denarius, 196–198 AD, Rome mint. Obv: M AVR ANTON CAES PONTIF; bareheaded bust of Caracalla r. Rev: IMPERII FELICITAS; Caracalla, Felicitas standing l., holding caduceus and child. 18mm, 3.53g. Ref: RIC IV,1 Caracalla 9.


Geta, Roman Empire, denarius, 200–202 AD, Rome mint. Obv: P SEPT GETA CAES PONT; bust of Geta, bare-headed, draped, r. Rev: PRINCIPI IVVENTUTIS; Geta, holding baton and sceptre, standing l. next to trophy r. 18mm, 3.40g. Ref: RIC IV Geta 18.

At this price, you should be able to get a deal on shipping...

 

Wouldn’t this bust OK with my tetradrachm?
No buyer’s fee or shipping. I buy! ;-))

CARACALLA, Tetradrachm
Laodicea, 208-209 A.D.
12.58 g - 26 mm
Prieur 1152
AYT KAI . ANTΩNЄINOC . CЄ, Laureate bust right
ΔHMAPX.ЄΞ.YΠATOC.TO.Γ. * , Eagle facing, head left

 

Here is my lone Caracalla. You have to admit that the reverse in interesting. This is a common piece.

 

Perhaps he was merely getting a...a...um....a haircut!