Fulvia Plautilla: Live fast, die young and leave a stunning denarius

A descendant of Julius Caesar's first wife, the only wife to give Caesar a child, Julia. Plautilla would do Caracalla the same favor, as coin evidence reportedly shows proof of them having a daughter, though I have never seen such a coin.
She was a child bride. A very common practice in Rome at the time. Though, some accounts have her as being several years older than Caracalla, if she was born the same year or year after Caracalla as most assert, she would have been as young as 13 when they married:
(Youthful, beautiful and spoiled beyond what few at the times could imagine, Plautilla was dead by her early 20s)

Plautilla was born in the very highest of elite society that Rome had to offer. Her Plebeian heritage went all the way back to the republic. She was daughter to Hortensianus and Gaius Fulvius Plautius, leader of the Praetorian Guard, cousin of Septimius Severus (making her Caracalla's second cousin) and well, a beast of a man:

(Herakles 2.0 anyone? And how did this brute father that angel???)

The cousins decided to have their two children, Plautilla and Caracalla, marry.
By all accounts Caracalla felt nothing for her (as a possible sociopath, he may have felt nothing for anyone). Supposedly she would spend with reckless abandon. Probably a habit most of the elite ladies of Rome suffered. Caracalla hated this and her openly.

(would this have been a scene the young empress was used to or would the elite have had a more personalized experience while the "shopped til they dropped")

There was some sort of falling out between Septimius and Gaius. Some say Septy was being paranoid others that Gaius indeed did commit treacherous acts. Either way he was executed while Plautilla and her brother were both exiled.
The 2 lived a ragged and abused existence until Caracalla finally had them put to death via strangulation (probably before having his own brother, Geta, murdered in front of their mother, but shortly after the death of his father, Septimius).

(Both Julia Domna and Plautilla had pitiful existences once all was said and done)

The last 6 years of her life were those of misery. And some may say double so, as she had gone from the highest of highs to the lowest lows.

My latest acquisition has one of my very favorite portraits and hairstyles of my Roman Empresses. Normally seen with her cornrows flowing backwards here they are sideways (though, I doubt her hairstylist would appreciate her hairstyle being compared to basic braids). And ironically with Concordia on the reverse. I can feel their love and Concordia through the ages:


Plautilla
(AD 202-205). AR denarius (18mm, 2.86 gm, 12h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 3/5. Rome, AD 202-205. PLAVTILLA-AVGVSTA, draped bust of Plautilla right, seen from front, hair coiled in ridges and fastened in large chignon / CONCORDIA-AVGG, Concordia standing facing, head left, patera in right hand, scepter in left. RIC IV.I (Caracalla) 363a. Purchased from Heritage Auctions October 2021

(Here she is rocking the same hairstyle as on the coin...though somebody so rudely knocked off her nose!)

Here is my first coin of hers with the more common hairstyle:

PLAUTILLA
(202-205). Denarius. Rome.
Obv: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE.
Draped bust right.
Rev: PROPAGO IMPER.
Plautilla standing right, clasping hands with Caracalla, standing left.
RIC 361.
2.71 g.18 mm. fine.

Here's her esteemed father-in-law:


Septimius Severus
(193-211 AD). AR Denarius (19 mm, 3.20 g), Roma, 200 AD.
Obv. SEVERVS AVG PART MAX, laureate head right.
Rev. PM TR P VIII COS II PP, Victory advancing left, holding open wreath over shield set on low base.
RIC 150. Nice portrait. Good very fine. Former: Auctiones GmbH


And her not so esteemed hubby probably around the age that they married:

Caracalla
198-217 AD
Silver Denarius (2.91 gm)
Rome Mint
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG ; Laureate draped bust right.
Rev: FELICITAS AVGG ; Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus & cornucopia.
RIC IV 127 ; RSC 64




I would love to see others coins of Plautilla, the other key players in her story, the supposed coin that is evidence of her and Caracalla's daughter, this facts or anything else that adds to the discussion.

 

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Wonderful coins! On the issue of Plautilla's and Caracalla's child, see these two coins:

Plautilla (wife of Caracalla; issued under Septimius Severus), AR Denarius, ca. 204 AD. Obv. PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right / Rev. PIETAS AVGG, Pietas standing right holding scepter & child. RIC IV 367, RSC III 16. 20 mm., 3.4 g. (See Note to RIC IV 362 below re birth in 204 of child who died in infancy.)



Plautilla (wife of Caracalla; issued under Septimius Severus), AR Denarius, 203-204 AD, Rome Mint. Obv. Draped bust right, hair in horizontal waves and drawn into large bun at back, PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE / Rev. Caracalla standing left, holding volumen with left hand and clasping right hands with Plautilla standing right, PROPAGO IMPERI. Short hairline flan crack. RIC IV (Caracalla) 362, RSC III (Plautilla) 21, Sear RCV II 7073 (ill.). 18 mm., 3.30 g., 6 h. [First appearance of reverse legend PROPAGO IMPERI, celebrating the hoped-for continuation of the Severan house through the union of Caracalla and Plautilla. Cf. RIC IV 367, showing Pietas (representing Plautilla) on reverse holding child, believed to have been issued to celebrate the 204 AD birth of child who died in infancy.]

 

Plautilla (202 - 205 A.D.)
AR Denarius
O: PLAVTILLAE AVGVSTAE, Draped bust right, hair in bun behind.
R: HILARITAS, Hilaritas standing, holding palm branch and cornucopia.
Laodicea Mint
3.3g
18mm
RIC IV 371 (Caracalla) RSC 14


Plautilla (202 - 205 A.D)
AR Denarius
O: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, Draped bust right.
R: PIETAS AVGG, Pietas standing front, head right, holding a child.
Rome
3.4g
18.5mm
RIC 367 RSC 16

 

Much appreciated Donna! Makes me wish the first coin of hers of mine had a better reverse. Look at her hair!

 

WoWiE!!! And I thought I had some beauties. EXCELLENT portraits Mat
Now I have to get the one with little baby "Caracallette" on it's reverse too!

 

The young unhappy couple:

 

Great coins @Ryro ! She certainly is a sympathetic figure based on what we know about her. I got outbid on both of the Plautila denarii I bid on this year.

Instead I will post a few of her brutal husband and his other famous murder victim, Geta.


Roman Empire
Caracalla
AR denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 206
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 3.18 g
Obv.: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG; Laureate head right
Rev.: PONTIF TR P VIIII COS II; Mars in military dress standing left, right hand resting on shield, left hand holding spear
Ref.: RIC IV 83
Ex Otto Helbing Nachf. 86 (Nov. 25, 1942); Ex Gorney & Mosch Auction 241, lot 3068 (Oct. 12, 2016); Ex arnoldoe Collection


PHOENICIA, Berytus.
Caracalla (AD 197-217)
AR Tetradrachm, Berytus mint, struck AD 215-217.
Dia.: 28 mm
Wt.: 13.0 g
Obv.: AVT KAI ANTWNINOC CЄB; Laureate bust right.
Rev.: ΔHMAPΧ EΞ YΠATO Δ; Eagle with spread wings standing facing, head left wreath in beak; between legs, prow left.
Reference: Prieur 1292
From the DePew Collection.


Roman Empire
Geta as Caesar
AR Denarius, Rome mint, struck ca. AD 198-200
Dia.: 18 mm
Wt.: 2.33 g
Obv.: L SEPTIMIVS GETA CAES. Bareheaded and draped bust right.
Rev.: FELICITAS TEMPOR. Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus and cornucopia.
Ref.: RIC IVa 2
Ex AMCC 1 (Dec. 1, 2018)

 

Here's one you don't see every day.


Plautilla, AD 202-205.
Roman AR denarius, 3.76 g, 20.2 mm.
Rome, AD 205.
Obv: PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, bare-headed and drape bust, right.
Rev: DIANA LVCIFERA, Diana standing left, holding flaming torch with both hands.
Refs: RIC 366; BMCRE 420; RSC 13; RCV 7070; CRE 427.

 

Plautilla. Augusta, 202-205 AD. AR Denarius (18mm; 3.56 gm; 12h). Laodicea mint. Struck under Septimius and Caracalla, 202-203 AD. Obv: Draped bust right. Rev: CONCORDIAE, Concordia seated left, holding patera and double cornucopia. RIC IV 372 (Caracalla); RSC 8. Note the unusual shoulder treatment that seems to be unique(?) to Laodicea ad Mare.

 

Beautiful coins!

On this coin you can nicely see a somewhat sad expression on Plautilla’s face, as if she knew what awaited her. On the reverse the goddess of love (Venus) is depicted here together with her son Cupid. If there was anything missing from the marriage between Caracalla and Plautilla, it was love!



Plautilla denarius.
Struck 202-203 AD.
Obv. PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA, draped bust right.
Rev. VENVS VICTRIX, Venus standing left, holding apple and palm frond, resting arm on shield set on ground; to left, Cupid standing left, holding helmet.
19 mm, 3,27 gr.
RIC 369 (Caracalla).

 

How about a provincial of the unlucky lady?

Plautilla, wife of Caracalla
202-205 AD
AE17
Nicea, Bythina
Obverse: ΠΛΑVΤΙΛΛΑ CEΒΑCΤΗ, bare-headed and draped bust, right
Reverse: ΝΙΚΑ-ΙΕΩΝ, goddess Demeter standing left, holding long torch
Reference: Cf. RG 494
ex: @dougsmit

 

A lovely portrait indeed! I would like to have one with that hairstyle too. My only Plautilla, a PROPAGO IMPERI, makes her look inappropriately matronly.

 

I have the same coin of Plautilla. It's unlisted in the major references, from what I can tell.


Plautilla, AD 202-205.
Roman provincial Æ 15.8 mm, 3.08 g.
Bithynia, Nicaea.
Obv: ΠΛΑVΤΙΛΛΑ CEΒΑCΤΗ, bare-headed and dr. bust, right.
Rev: ΝΙΚΑ-ΙΕΩΝ, Demeter standing left, holding long torch.
Refs: BMC --; Sear --; Mionnet --; Wiczay --; Lindgren --.

A CNG listing says to compare the coin to Waddington's Recueil General Des Monnaies Grecques D'Asie Mineure (RG), 494, pl. LXXX. But that catalog listing is for an Æ 27--quite a bit bigger and it has a different obverse legend:

 

It was very difficult to attribute! Unfortunately, we don't have access to many resources and the one where this is listed is obviously not something we have. Wildwinds also has an example but the site says it is 10.98g. Ours is 2.68. Obviously not the same

 

I am hoping that when someday the Severan volumes of RPC are published online this coin is included.

 

PLAVTILLA AVGVSTA - Draped bust of Plautilla right
PIETAS AVGG S C - Pietas standing facing, head right, holding scepter in right hand and child in left
Limes-As, unofficial mint in Gaul, ca. 204 AD

 

Furryfrog's Plautilla has a further provenance: it was given to me by a teacher participating in the Ancient Coins for education program but the class had been unable to ID it. I gave them a couple better coins that were used as prizes in the class that even came with ID's.

When you post another Plautilla thread, you will doubtless get my same old Stratoniceia AE38 with the headless Zeus of Panamaros. I still have not convinced myself of the ID of the decapitating countermark. Some books say it is Caracalla. Some authors make up stuff as they go along. IDK.

 

Plautilla, at least half of one

 

It seems that provincials of Plautilla are quite scarce.

Plautilla; Nicopolis, Moesia inferior; Æ 25. Obv: Her bust, right. Rev: Athena standing facing, head right, and holding spear and shield, the latter on a small base. BMC___ (a single example for Plautilla), SNG Copenhagen___ (NO examples for Plautilla alone). Varbanov (Engl.) 3189. THIS COIN pictured! HrHJ (2018) 8.21.4.3 (same dies).