Silver Denarius, Ancient Rome, c. 198-217 AD
Ruler: Caracalla (Augustus)
Obv: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG GERM – Laureate bust of Caracalla, right
Rev: PMTRPXVIIII COS IIII PP - Jupiter seated left, holding Victory and scepter
Mint: Rome (struck 216 AD)
S-R6837v, 19mm, 3.18gm
Excellent portrait, well struck, German victory
"GERM", appended at the end of the obverse legend, refers to Roman victories by Caracalla over the Germanic tribes.
"Caracalla" was the popular nickname of Antoninus, Roman emperor of Punic and Syrian descent from 198 to 217. The eldest son of Septimius Severus, he reigned jointly with his father from 198 until Severus' death in 211. For a short time he then ruled jointly with his younger brother Geta until he had him murdered later in 211. Caracalla is remembered as one of the most notorious emperors.
Caracalla's reign was also notable for the Constitutio Antoniniana (also called the Edict of Caracalla or the Antonine Constitution), granting Roman citizenship to all freemen throughout the Roman Empire, which according to historian Cassius Dio, was done for the purposes of raising tax revenue. Caracalla also commissioned a large public bath-house (thermae) project in Rome, and the remains of the Baths of Caracalla are still one of the major tourist attractions of the Italian capital.
