Laertes (AD 198-217) AE 28 - Caracalla

Caracalla, 198-217 AD. AE28 (10.50g, 7h). AVT KAI M AVP ANTωNЄI[NOC], laureate and draped bust right / ΛAЄPTЄ ITωN, Apollo standing facing, head right, holding palm frond and bow. Good VF, dark green patina, adjustment marks. Very rare. From Group CEM. Ex Aufhäuser 5 (10/1988), lot 364; Münz Zentrum 63 (4/1988), lot 1363.

The identification of the emperor is uncertain. Originally published in the Münz Zentrum sale as Caracalla, the cataloguer of the Aufhäuser sale gave it to Elagabalus. Either is a possibility, but this cataloguer leans slightly toward identifying the bust as a young Caracalla. While no coins of either emperor appear in the standard references, an issue under Septimius Severus is evidenced by extremely rare coins of Geta as Caesar (SNG Pfalzer 873), which appear to be half denominations of the current piece. Surely Laertes did not issue in the name of the Caesar alone, and coins of Severus and Domna will likely turn up in the course of time.