LYDIA. Sardis. Caracalla, 198-217. Medallion (Bronze, 42 mm, 33.48 g, 11 h), Loukios Kornelios Vettenianos, strategos and asiarch for the fourth time, circa 205-209. AY•KAI•M•AY•AN-TΩNЄINOC• Laureate and cuirassed bust of Caracalla to right, wearing aegis and balteus. Rev. ЄΠΙ ϹΤΡΑ•ΚΟΡ•ΟΥЄΤΤΗΝΙΑΝΟΥ•ΑϹΙΑ•Δ // ϹΑΡΔΙΑΝΩΝ•B• / ΝЄΩΚΟΡΩΝ Septimius Severus, on the right, standing front in military attire, head to left, holding spear in his left hand and sacrificing with his right over lit altar in front of cult statue of the Kore of Sardis, veiled and draped, standing facing, with grain ears on the left and poppy on her right. GRPC -. Imhoof-Blumer, Lydia -. RPC V.2 online (forthcoming) -. SNG Copenhagen -. SNG Leypold -. SNG München -. SNG von Aulock -. Unpublished and unique. A beautiful medallion with a wonderful portrait and an exceptionally detailed aegis. Light roughness and with minor doubling on the reverse, otherwise, very fine.


Next to the balteus, the body belt or sword suspension of the Roman gladius, the wonderfully crafted bust of the emperor on this unpublished medallion is also adorned with an exceptionally detailed Aegis. Caracalla wears Athena's magical goat-skin shield attached to his left shoulder, from its edges twisting serpents emerge, and the enemies of the emperor (and thus of the empire) are additionally repelled by a terrifying Gorgon head ready to petrify them into stone. The medallion was minted under the strategos and asiarch Loukios Kornelios Vettenianos and likely dates to the years 205-209, as the series includes issues of the entire imperial family, namely Septimius Severus, Julia Domna, Caracalla as Augustus, and Geta as Caesar, but not of Plautilla (202-205). Interestingly, the distinctive curly beard of the emperor on the reverse indicates that this is not Caracalla, but rather his father, Septimius Severus.