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<p>[QUOTE="Shea19, post: 3790194, member: 90981"]Here is a new Caracalla tetradrachm from the Michel Prieur collection that I won at a recent CNG auction. I think it just might be my favorite coin of the year so far, I absolutely LOVE this portrait. They took Caracalla’s usual angry scowl, dialed it up a few notches, and ended up with this:</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1012425[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Caracalla, Phoenicia (Tyre), AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 15.23 g, 12h). Struck AD 213-215. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Eagle standing facing on club right, head and tail left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; murex shell between legs. Prieur 1550.</p><p>CNG E-Auction 453, From the Michel Prieur Collection.</p><p><br /></p><p>In the portrait, he really looks like the archetype of a murderous tyrant (from “Central Casting”, as my mother would say). His angry mug takes up almost all of the 27mm flan, and his scowl is so intense that it looks like the letters in the legend tried to run away over the top of the coin (or maybe it’s just struck a little off center, I don’t know). Don't know if the photo does it justice, but the portrait really makes it look like he's ready to bite someone's head off.</p><p><br /></p><p>This portrait style is much different from another one I bought from the Tyre mint earlier this year. This one is almost caricature-like, but the one below is a more realistic look, and doesn’t feature his signature scowl that appears on most of his coins. Interesting that both of these are from the same mint. Can’t decide which I like better, but I really like these as a pair together.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1012400[/ATTACH]</p><p>Caracalla, AR Tetradrachm, circa 208-212, Phoenicia (Tyre) mint, (27mm., 13.70g)</p><p>Laureate head of Caracalla r./Rev. Eagle standing facing on club r., head and tail l., with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; between legs, murex shell. Prieur 1535.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Of course, Caracalla didn’t just <i>look </i>like a murderous tyrant on his coins, he was in real life too. In addition to infamously having his little brother killed in their mother’s arms, he went on to slaughter 20,000 of Geta’s supporters, and was responsible for many other atrocities in Alexandria and throughout the empire. One of the most notorious men to ever wear the purple.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1012411[/ATTACH]</p><p>(Marble bust of Caracalla, who did not crack a smile throughout his entire reign).</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>I know that many of us have at least one example, so please post your coins of angry Caracalla (or any other Caracalla you’d like)![/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>
[QUOTE="Shea19, post: 3790194, member: 90981"]Here is a new Caracalla tetradrachm from the Michel Prieur collection that I won at a recent CNG auction. I think it just might be my favorite coin of the year so far, I absolutely LOVE this portrait. They took Caracalla’s usual angry scowl, dialed it up a few notches, and ended up with this: [ATTACH=full]1012425[/ATTACH] Caracalla, Phoenicia (Tyre), AR Tetradrachm (27mm, 15.23 g, 12h). Struck AD 213-215. Laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust right / Eagle standing facing on club right, head and tail left, with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; murex shell between legs. Prieur 1550. CNG E-Auction 453, From the Michel Prieur Collection. In the portrait, he really looks like the archetype of a murderous tyrant (from “Central Casting”, as my mother would say). His angry mug takes up almost all of the 27mm flan, and his scowl is so intense that it looks like the letters in the legend tried to run away over the top of the coin (or maybe it’s just struck a little off center, I don’t know). Don't know if the photo does it justice, but the portrait really makes it look like he's ready to bite someone's head off. This portrait style is much different from another one I bought from the Tyre mint earlier this year. This one is almost caricature-like, but the one below is a more realistic look, and doesn’t feature his signature scowl that appears on most of his coins. Interesting that both of these are from the same mint. Can’t decide which I like better, but I really like these as a pair together. [ATTACH=full]1012400[/ATTACH] Caracalla, AR Tetradrachm, circa 208-212, Phoenicia (Tyre) mint, (27mm., 13.70g) Laureate head of Caracalla r./Rev. Eagle standing facing on club r., head and tail l., with wings spread, holding wreath in beak; between legs, murex shell. Prieur 1535. Of course, Caracalla didn’t just [I]look [/I]like a murderous tyrant on his coins, he was in real life too. In addition to infamously having his little brother killed in their mother’s arms, he went on to slaughter 20,000 of Geta’s supporters, and was responsible for many other atrocities in Alexandria and throughout the empire. One of the most notorious men to ever wear the purple. [ATTACH=full]1012411[/ATTACH] (Marble bust of Caracalla, who did not crack a smile throughout his entire reign). I know that many of us have at least one example, so please post your coins of angry Caracalla (or any other Caracalla you’d like)![/QUOTE]
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