Heritage World Coin Auctions
NYINC Signature Sale 3051 8-9 January 2017
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Gaius 'Caligula' (AD 37-41), with Germanicus (died AD 19). AR denarius (19mm, 3.70 gm, 8h). NGC XF 3/5 - 4/5. Rome or Lugdunum, AD 37-38. C∙ CAESAR∙ AVG∙ GERM∙[ P∙ M∙ TR∙ POT], bare head of Caligula right / GERMANICVS∙ CAES∙ P∙ C CAES∙ AVG∙ GERM, bare head of Germanicus right. RIC 12 (R2). BMCRE 12. RSC 4. Struck on a lozenge-shaped flan, the obverse missing a bit of legend to left, but with two clear portraits and deep gray toning.
This remarkable dynastic denarius pairs Caligula's obverse portrait with that of his father, the revered general Germanicus, whose mysterious death in AD 19 plunged the Roman world into mourning. There is scholarly disagreement over the mint location for Caligula's precious metal coinage. C. H. V. Sutherland and R. A. Carson, writing in Vol. I of RIC, state their belief that the early, bare-headed coinage of Caligula, like that of Tiberius, was struck in Gaul at the mint of Lugdunum, but that late in AD 37 minting operations were transferred to Rome and continued there for all subsequent issues, identified by a laureate head of the emperor. J. B. Giard, author of the Bibliotech Nationale catalog in Paris, believes all of Caligula's gold and silver issues were minted in Lugdunum, and this view is supported by David R. Sear in "Roman Coins and Their Values."
Estimate: 2000-2500 USD
Gaius 'Caligula' (AD 37-41), with Germanicus (died AD 19). AR denarius (19mm, 3.70 gm, 8h). NGC XF 3/5 - 4/5. Rome or Lugdunum, AD 37-38. C∙ CAESAR∙ AVG∙ GERM∙[ P∙ M∙ TR∙ POT], bare head of Caligula right / GERMANICVS∙ CAES∙ P∙ C CAES∙ AVG∙ GERM, bare head of Germanicus right. RIC 12 (R2). BMCRE 12. RSC 4. Struck on a lozenge-shaped flan, the obverse missing a bit of legend to left, but with two clear portraits and deep gray toning.
This remarkable dynastic denarius pairs Caligula's obverse portrait with that of his father, the revered general Germanicus, whose mysterious death in AD 19 plunged the Roman world into mourning. There is scholarly disagreement over the mint location for Caligula's precious metal coinage. C. H. V. Sutherland and R. A. Carson, writing in Vol. I of RIC, state their belief that the early, bare-headed coinage of Caligula, like that of Tiberius, was struck in Gaul at the mint of Lugdunum, but that late in AD 37 minting operations were transferred to Rome and continued there for all subsequent issues, identified by a laureate head of the emperor. J. B. Giard, author of the Bibliotech Nationale catalog in Paris, believes all of Caligula's gold and silver issues were minted in Lugdunum, and this view is supported by David R. Sear in "Roman Coins and Their Values."
Estimate: 2000-2500 USD