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Pautalia AE28 Moushmov 4286 of Caracalla

Caracalla AE28 of Pautalia in Thrace. AVT K M AVPH ANTWNINOC, laureate head right / OVLPIAC PAVTALIAC, river god Strumon reclining left, right hand on galley, resting on urn from which waters flow; child climbing up to pick grapes labeled BOTPY from vine growing up behind and over him; child harvesting wheat labeled CTAXY from field below; child before with bag of silver labeled ARGUROS; child behind collecting gold labeled CPUSOS.

Lot No.3299. nVF, and one of the most desireable rarities of all provincial types.

$ 1800.

Caracalla (ruled 188-217 AD) was the nickname of the Roman emperor who ruled as Marcus Aurelius Antoninus. Originally named Bassianus, he was born in Gaul, and was nicknamed Caracalla because he introduced into Roman fashion a long cloak or tunic from Gaul called the caracalla. When his father, Septimius Severus, died in 211, Caracalla became joint emperor with his younger brother, Publius Septimius Geta. In 212 Caracalla became sole emperor after murdering Geta in their mother's arms, and arranging the massacre of thousands of Geta's followers.

Caracalla's reign was marked by cruelty, extravagance, and treachery, but he followed his father's advice to treat the soldiers well, and he was well loved by the army. He increased their pay and introduced the double denarius, also known as the Antoninianus in his honor, presumeably to facilitate this military pay raise.

On his birthday, April 4th, 217 AD, while campaigning against the Parthians, as he stopped to empty his bladder on the road to Carrhae, he fell victim to a plot engineered by Macrinus, who was Praetorian Prefect. He was assassinated by one Julius Martialis, who bore a grudge against Caracalla for having passed him over for promotion to centurion, and Macrinus immediate seized power.