Preview
Creation Date
198 - 217 C.E. (based on Caracalla’s reign). This dating may be further confined to the early years of his reign based on the emperor’s youthful appearance.
Geography
Minted in Pautalia, a city in Thrace, in modern-day Kyustendil, Bulgaria
Culture
Roman
Medium
The exact name of this denomination is unclear, but it seems to be a low-denomination bronze coin meant for local circulation.
Dimensions
Diameter: 19.64 mm
Thickness: 2.3 mm
Weight: 4.02 g
Die Axis: 11
Credit Line
Gift of Brad Hostetler, 2022
Accession Number
2022.2
Provenance
Purchased from Carla Martinez of Las Vegas.
Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings
Obverse Legend
The obverse legend of this coin appears to read: ΑΥΤ Κ ΑΝΤΩΝΙΝ (aut k Antōnin). The first two abbreviations are shorthand for the Greek ΑΥΤΟΚΡΑΤΩΡ ΚΑΙΣΑΡ (autokratōr Kaisar), a Greek translation of the Latin titles imperator and Caesar, both of which were bestowed upon the Roman emperor. Imperator (literally “general”) referred to the emperor in his capacity as leader of the troops, while Caesar indicated that he was the successor of Augustus Caesar.
The latter part – AΝΤΩΝΙΝ – is extremely difficult to decipher due to the state of the coin, but it perhaps reads “Antonin,” the beginning of “Antoninus,” part of Caracalla’s name. Although Caracalla was called Lucius Septimius Bassianus at birth, his father later changed his name to Marcus Aurelius Antoninus in order to forge a connection with the previous Antonine dynasty.
Reverse Legend
ΟΥΛΠΙΑC ΠΑΥΤΑΛΙΑ(C), “Oulpias Pautalia(s)” (translation: of Ulpia Pautalia)
Description
The life of Roman emperor Marcus Aurelius Antoninus – nicknamed Caracalla – is recorded by the Greek-writing historians Cassius Dio and Herodian. Caracalla reigned from 198 - 217 C.E. as the second emperor in the Severan dynasty. The beginning of his reign was a joint one, in which he ruled with his father Septimius Severus (198-211) and his younger brother Geta (209-211). After Septimius Severus’ death in February 211, the joint rule became unstable and the two brothers did not remotely get along; eventually, in December 211, Caracalla arranged Geta’s assassination against the wishes of their mother Julia Domna. Afterward, the memory of Geta was wiped away in the practice of damnatio memoriae, “condemnation of memory.” Caracalla reigned for another 6 years until his own assassination (probably orchestrated by his successor, Marcus Opellius Macrinus).
On the obverse, the figure faces right, laureate, and wears a cuirass and paludamentum (a military cloak). The identification of the figure on this coin is difficult; for example, this coin was previously dubbed “Coin of Geta” in the Blick-Harris study collection. However, the obverse legend necessitates a reevaluation. While the portraiture resembles either the young Geta or the young Caracalla, Geta never received the name Antoninus. In addition, the curl pattern over the portrait’s forehead resembles other depictions of the young Caracalla, as indicated in John Pollini’s study of the iconography of the brothers (Pollini 2005). For both of these reasons, this coin was most likely minted under Caracalla.
The reverse identifies this coin as hailing from Ulpia Pautalia (modern-day Kyustendil), located in the Roman province of Thrace. The city received the first part of its name in honor of Ulpia Marciana, sister of the emperor Trajan (r. 98-117 C.E.). Ulpius was their gentilicium (family name).
The image on the reverse is that of a snake intertwined around a tripod. The snake seems to have no association with Caracalla, but rather with Pautalia. The city was famous for its hot springs and its prominent health cult. Coins minted in Pautalia frequently had images of the healing god Asclepius (who is associated with snakes), Hygieia (the personification of health), and the minor healing god Telesphorus who was likely Celtic in origin. Additionally, the snake may be linked to early-Thracian serpent cults, or the winged serpent Glycon, the guardian of the hot springs.
This coin is in rather poor condition; the legend on the obverse is extremely difficult to read. The reverse, however, is in better condition and is much easier to decipher. The edges of the coin are quite jagged and worn. The relevant volume of Roman Provincial Coinage has not yet been issued, so a precise identification of this coin type is not possible at this time. However, there is a coin at the British Museum (museum number 2004,0405.189) that closely resembles this coin.
Bibliography
Awianowicz, Bartosz. 2021. “Some Aspects of the Greek Legends of the Coins Minted in Thrace and Lower Moesia under Caracalla and Geta.” In Ulrike Peter and Vladimir F. Stolb (eds.), Thrace – Local Coinage and Regional Identity. Berlin: Berlin Studies of the Ancient World, 461-476.
Grigorova-Gencheva, Valentina and Lily Grozdanova. 2021. “The Health Cult in Pautalia: Some Key Aspects of the City Coinage as a Primary Source on the Subject.” In Ulrike Peter and Vladimir F. Stolb (eds.), Thrace – Local Coinage and Regional Identity. Berlin: Berlin Studies of the Ancient World, 477-489.
Peter, Ulrike. 2005. “Religious-Cultural Identity in Thrace and Moesia Inferior.” In Christopher Howgego (ed.), Coinage and Identity in the Roman Provinces. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 107-114.
Pollini, John. 2005. “A Portrait of Caracalla from the Mellerio Collection and the Iconography of Caracalla and Geta.” Revue Archéologique 1: 55-77.
Sara Landon ’24 (for CLAS 393: Roman Numismatics with Prof. Rebecca Deitsch)