AR denarius, Publius Lucius Septimius Geta, AD 209 - 212

   

Publius Septimius Geta, son of Septimius Severus and Julia Domna, was proclaimed Caesar in AD 198 and raised to the rank of Augustus in AD 209. When Severus died open hatred erupted between his sons, co-emperors Caracalla and Geta. At the instigation of Caracalla, Geta was murdered in AD 212. Caracalla ordered damnatio memoriae - an effort to remove all traces of Geta's memory on record: he had his brother's name excised from papyri and his inscriptions and portraits destroyed. Geta's image on coins was obliterated and the coins counter marked.

Obv. Geta, bare head right, SEPT. GETA CAE. PONT.
Rev. Geta standing next to a trophy, holding a branch and a spear, the legend reads PRINC IVVENTVTIS - 'first among the young', the usual legend for a Caesar. The coin was struck AD 198-209 under Septimius Severus and Caracalla.


Imperial


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