Is this a Roman joke or what ?

Question : if you were a die engraver at the service of an emperor, would you take the chance to test his sense of humour ? Let’s suppose that your boss is Commodus, remember the guy who had his attendant thrown into an oven after he found his bathwater to be lukewarm, would you dare to try a little joke on his coinage ?

This is a coin from the British Museum :

Commodus Sestertius
191-192 AD 27.23 g
L AEL AVREL COMM AVG P FEL
HERCULI/ROMANO/AVGVSTO/SC
Club, upright, within laurel wreath

Here is the « joke » :if you only take the writing at the right of the Club, you will read this ; the ‘hole’ (ano) of his ‘bottom’ (culi) has been burnt (usto). Now if we make the link with the object on the reverse, it’s easy to imagine the average roman citizen laugh himself to death at the tavern with his friends....

So please your opinion expert in Roman history : a coincidence or a really good pleasantry ???

 

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I'm pretty sure Commodus approved of that design. He was not the kind of emperor you would like to cross like that.

 

Great coin!!!
Heck, I don't need an excuse to post this coin. Even if it does allude to a burnt butt:

 

Now that's funny.

 

A good joke on a very covetable coin !

Q

 

Bummer! Mine (an as) doesn't have the awesome joke! Great catch, Ochix.