Denarius - Caracalla P M TR P XX COS IIII P P; Serapis
217 year| Silver | 2.9 g | - |
| Issuer | Rome › Roman Empire (27 BC - 395 AD) |
|---|---|
| Emperor | Caracalla (Marcus Aurelius Antoninus Caracalla) (198-217) |
| Type | Standard circulation coin |
| Year | 217 |
| Value | Denarius (½) |
| Currency | Antoninianus, Reform of Caracalla (AD 215 – 301) |
| Composition | Silver |
| Weight | 2.9 g |
| Shape | Round (irregular) |
| Technique | Hammered |
| Demonetized | Yes |
| Updated | 2024-10-05 |
| Numista | N#273494 |
|---|---|
| Rarity index | 100% |
Reverse
Serapis, wearing polos on head, seated left, holding corn-ears in right hand (?) and sceptre in left hand.
Script: Latin
Lettering: P M TR P XX COS IIII P P
Translation:
Pontifex Maximus, Tribunicia Potestate Vicesima, Consul Quartum, Pater Patriae.
High priest, holder of tribunician power for the 20th time, consul for the fourth time, father of the nation.
Comment
Source:Online Coins of the Roman Empire (OCRE)
Interesting fact
One interesting fact about this coin is that it features the image of Serapis, a deity worshipped in the Roman Empire during the 2nd and 3rd centuries AD. Serapis was a syncretization of the Egyptian god Osiris and the Greek god Hades, and was often depicted with a modius, a grain measure, on his head, which symbolized his role as a god of fertility and agriculture. The inclusion of Serapis on this coin suggests that the Roman Empire was promoting the cult of Serapis as a way to unify the diverse religious beliefs of its subjects and promote imperial ideology.
