I've recently received this denarius of Caracalla. I really like the portrait, so I thought I'd share it. AR denarius Rome mint, A.D. 213 RIC 208(a) Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT Rev: P M TR P XVI COS IIII P P -Serapis, polos on head, standing, facing left, raising right hand and holding traverse scepter in left. 19 mm. 3.1 g.
That's a very attractive coin, @gsimonel , with a portrait in fine-style, good centering, and well-struck. In antiquity, depictions of Serapis were somewhat standardized in their iconography. You might be interested to read this thread. I have a Caracalla with Serapis, but from a different issue. 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: PM 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.
Thanks. Glad you like it. Some of the letters of the obverse inscription are interesting, too. The T in ANTONINVS has extended serifs. It looks like it might be a cracked die. Same with the S. If is was a crack, it extended upward from the lower serif but in both directions from the upper serif. There's also some weirdness with the IVS in PIVS. The S looks like it was smashed after the coin was minted. But the blobs on the I and V look like they were part of the die. These are just my theories. I know there are many people on this list who are much more knowledgeable about this sort of thing than I am. Any thoughts? Does it seem unusual that the portrait came out so well when the die appears to be pretty stressed, with cracks and flaws?
Nice coin! Strong face, great job finding that coin, @gsimonel ... I do not have many from this guy. LOL, mine just means "Money". RI Caracalla 198-217 AR Denarius MONETA Ex: @Blake Davis (Mortown)
LOL And, Dire Straights done it goood, too! Money for NOTHIN'! And, hey, what better than "Chicks for Free!"
