Aesthetic is a complicated thing; our reception of a work of art doesn't always match the artist's intention. This Caracalla antoninianus that I just picked up is a great example of that. The artwork itself is superb – the representation of Cerberus on the reverse is unusually 'realistic' (something I've been searching for). But what really captured my attention was a quirk of the ravages of time. I bought this coin because I found the discolored delimitation on the portrait to be attractive. I imagine it as a statement that the cellator who carved the die could never have conceived of: here we have the coldhearted Caracalla shedding a black tear for his murdered brother Geta, for his massacre of the people of Alexandria, a hint of remorse from a heart of darkness. To paraphrase Whitman, coins contain multitudes. 5.10g, 24mm, RIC IV 261D. Struck at Rome in AD 215 Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, Bust of Caracalla, radiate, draped, and cuirassed, to right. Reverse: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII PP, Serapis wearing modes on head, seated left, extending right hand and holding scepter in left hand; to left, Cerberus. RIC describes the reverse figure as Pluto, but the modius/kalathos on his head, general pose, and Caracalla's devotion to Serapis makes that a more accurate description
The original artwork is fantastic. After enlarging the image, it looks as though the gouge on portrait has taken out the "top" silver. Is it silver underneath? In the enlargement, it looks like a core of another metal. You have it in hand. What do you think?
@Bing, I suspect it is still silverish, but it is either more debased than the surface, or simply less cleaned than the exterior surface and thus more darkly toned.
Interesting writeup, I know I couldn't live with that gauge. Caracalla (198 - 217 A.D.) AR Antoninianus O: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM, , radiate and cuirassed bust right. R: P M TR P XVIII COS IIII P P, Pluto seated left, extending right hand, holding vertical scepter in left; at his feet to left, Cerberus seated left, turning his three heads right. Rome 20mm 5.2g RIC IV 261c; RSC III 299a; BMCRE V 124
I love this, the black “tear” for his little brother is fantastic. I really like the famous 3-headed dog on the reverse too, great coin.
To be honest, if he had not killed Geta, Geta would have killed him. Geta was not a child. Cool coin and interesting take all the same.
Caracalla has had that gash on his cheek since childhood! Caracalla as Caesar, AD 195-198. Roman AR denarius, 2.46 g, 18.5 mm, 12 h. Rome, AD 198. Obv: M AVR ANTON CAES PONTIF, bare-headed and draped bust, right. Rev: FIDES PVBLICA, Fides standing right, holding grain ears and dish of fruits. Refs: RIC 8, Cohen 83; Hill 321.
Interesting and neat coin! And Cerberus is a great mythical animal I think. A coin with him on reverse is on my wishlist. Now that's an interesting thought. From what is left over of written history, Caracalla is portrayed as the ultimate bad guy. This might be true, but it does not necessarily mean that Geta was not. Here's my antoninianus of Caracalla. No dog, but a bird.
Perhaps it's just me, but it's rather striking how similar the eagle on @Limes' coin is to the cruder example of Cerberus on these coins. The beak and wings are well defined on that one, but on some of both types the creature is really just a central body with three projections.
