Caligula denarius

I just received this Caligula denarius that I purchased on Forvm. I have been trying to put together a set of the 12 caesars in silver. I had read that Claudius and Caligula would be the most difficult to find and purchase (and they were). I am very excited to have this coin. I know it is quite worn, but I believe that the Caligula portrait is quite striking. I feel that the style of this portrait is quite different from those of other emperors.

I now have 4 coins left to complete the set: Tiberius, Galba, Titus, and Domitian.

Caligula and Agrippina AR Denarius, aF, toned, bumps and marks, 2.680g, 17.8mm, 180o, Lugdunum (Lyon, France) mint, end of 37 - early 38 A.D.;
Obv: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT (counterclockwise), laureate head of Gaius right; Rev: AGRIPPINA MAT C CAES AVG GERM (counterclockwise), draped bust of Agrippina Senior (his mother), her hair in a queue behind, one curly lock falls loose on the side of her neck, RIC I 14 (Rome), RSC II 2; BMCRE I 15 (Rome), BnF II 24, Hunter I 7 (Rome), SRCV I 1825 Ex: the Jyrki Muona Collection

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Congrats, would a silver of him. I just have the bronze provincial.


Caligula (37 - 41 A.D.)
AE30 AS
SEGOBRIGA, SPAIN
O: C CAESAR AVG GERMANICVS IMP, laureate head left.
R: SEGO BRIGA in wreath.
Segobriga Mint
30.5mm
10.1g
Burgos 1724

 

Claudius was the hardest for me. Congrats. Titus and Domitian should be easy, while I believe Tiberius and Galba will be a little harder and more expensive.


CALIGULA
AR Denarius
OBVERSE: C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT, bare head right
REVERSE: DIVVS AVG PATER PATRIAE, radiate head of Divus Augustus right
Struck at Lugdunum, 37/8AD
3.5g, 18mm
RIC I 10

 

Tiberius is expensive because of the whole tribute penny thing. Nice coin OP. A silver Gaius truly is a scarce thing.

 

The show Friday had a decent Tiberius denarius of the type that is not the Tribute penny. I might have bought it except that the reverse was off center losing the heads of the horses were off flan. While I was talking to him someone asked if he had a Tribute penny and he said no. He expects the coin to be a hard sell even though it is rather rare and a lot more interesting than the TP. A 12 Caesars silver collection with one of these as the Tiberius should get extra credit.

 

nice orfew! a very cool caligula ( i don't have one) and a mother/son combo...that's pretty awesome.

 

I agree Doug. I really like the quadriga reverse. If I can find one of these I would be happy to have it take a place in my set.

 

I want to point out a couple things here that show someone was doing things the right way. 90% of these sold are fakes. Buying a Caligula with a pedigree from a known collector from a knowledgeable dealer just might be a good idea and worth the extra cost. A coin this poor is not the easiest to expertise.

A bad idea on the other hand would be to buy a coin like mine below. It is a fake. I bought it as a fake quite a while ago and it has been toning nicely since. You might say you know it is fake because it is too good to be real. Now imaging the result if I had been carrying it in my coin purse for these last couple decades and added a few digs. I could feed it to a goat or boil it in witches brew to make this $20,000 looking fake into a $200 looking fake but since I paid $4 for the coin (they are more now) and may have spent about that much making it look terrible. That is still good profit. Be very careful buying trashy looking Caligula denarii. I have seen many that started out just like mine. Mine shows hair cut more coarsely than the real ones in EF would show. Making it into a VG will take care of that problem, believe me!

 

Wow !
Gaius and Agrippina on the same coin is really something special I would like to put on my trays one day.
Good catch for sure

Q

 

The Gaius and Agrippina combo seems to save everyone excited...ME TOO!!!!

I think it's a terrific denarius, Orfew ....I just have the 'bronze' As version...

Bing also has a wonderful 'two for the price of one' denarius also.

Doug makes some interesting points again...I fear I may run into a coin like his one day---altered as he mentions and having all the appearance of a genuinely fantastic but a bit 'worn' coin.

Finally, I have always thought of the famous Livia seated and bust of Tiberius as the 'TRIBUTE PENNY"---but others seem to think an Augustus denarius is actually the one referred to in the Bible by Jesus...Any thoughts on this guys?

 

Congrats on the tough score, Orfew. I'm looking forward to seeing the set when you have it completed.

 

Thanks to all for the kind words and encouragement.

 

A wonderful addition Orfew! I agree with zumbly, can't wait to see the full set!

 

Thanks David. I was very lucky to get this one. I have tried to get the most difficult ones out of the way first. Now I can concentrate on picking up interesting examples of the final four. The nice thing is that there are plenty of them out there. I just have to decide which ones I want.

 

There are enough people out there who have convinced themselves that their answer is the only correct one that there is no use talking to any of them. There are the ones who swear it has to be Augustus, those who say no denarii circulated in the region so the coin had to be a drachm and the traditional Tiberius guys. There are even those who claim Jesus would not have said anything different had he been shown a Republican with an elephant on it. Whatever truth may be, the Livia type has been the 'Tribute Penny' to so many people for so many years that I'd just leave well enough alone. I will point out that there is an apocryphal gospel (Thomas 100) that specifies the coin was gold. That could run up the price!

 

Terrific answer Doug....

 

Holy => nice snag, Orfew ... I don't have one of those great Caligula denarii (*rats*)

=> all I have is this good ol' bronze baby (AE As) ...

 

Well, if Steve can get away with posting an As, so can I---but his is much better....

 

=> Mum, Mat started it!!

 

Caligula!?
Wow!
Hats of to your sir!