Watch List notes:

Caracalla Cameo. ; Caracalla Cameo; ca. 215-217 AD, A portrait cameo of two layers, white on blue-black. The Emperor facing right with heavy brow and creased forehead, the details of his characteristic short beard and curly hair crisply incised. He is laureate and wears a cuirass and paladamentum. L. 20mmOne virtually never sees Imperial period cameos unless you view the collection in Florence, Italy. What seems impossible does actually exist in large public collections, no doubt also in the Boston Museum of Fine Arts. Even though this cameo has a few edge breaks, the portrait of a mature Caracalla is flawless. This is in the Denarius section of the catalog because it is the size and type of an exquisite denarius, though it is a hand-carved cameo of one of the most villainous emperors of Rome. This cameo is a prize for anyone collecting Roman portraits or the coinage of Caracalla .

Buy Price: $21000