Gaius (Caligula), 37-41. Sestertius (Orichalcum, 36 mm, 28.28 g, 6 h), Rome, 37-38. C•CAESAR•AVG•GERMANICVS•PON•M•TR•POT Laureate head of Gaius to left. Rev. S P Q R / P P / OB CIVES / SERVATOS in four lines within oak wreath (corona civica). BMC 38. Cohen 24. RIC 37. Boldly struck and undoubtedly among the finest known examples, with a spectacular portrait and a lovely brown and green patina. Minor smoothing, otherwise, extremely fine.

The corona civica was the second highest Roman military decoration, ranking just below the corona obsidionalis graminea. Made of oak leaves, it was awarded to Roman citizens who saved the life of a fellow citizen by slaying an enemy, capturing their armor, and holding the battle line in place of the rescued comrade. Julius Caesar received this honor during the siege of Mytilene in 81 BC, and in imperial times, the corona civica became one of the signa (symbols) of the emperors. This adoption of the corona civica by the emperors was a way to connect the ruler to the republican ideals of virtus (courage) and pietas (duty). The decoration symbolized the protection and well-being of the state, aligning with the emperor’s role as a defender of the Roman people. Thus, it became an important emblem of imperial authority, reinforcing the emperor’s identity as the 'father of the people' and the guarantor of peace and prosperity within the empire. This magnificent sestertius from the collection of Edmund Nordheim (1874-1940) offers one of the most detailed depictions of the corona civica, coupled with a spectacular portrait of Caligula struck in high relief. With its beatiful patina and fine pedigree, it certainly ranks amongst the finest known sestertii from the mad emperor. Nordheim, a distinguished Hamburg merchant and numismatist, was deeply involved in the numismatic community, holding memberships in the Numismatic Societies of Hamburg and Austria, as well as the Verein für Hamburgische Geschichte. His extensive collection spanned a wide range of coinage, from ancient to modern, with a particular focus on Swiss issues. Following the economic upheavals of the 1920s, he began liquidating his collection through prestigious auctions in Berlin and London. In 1933, amid rising political tensions, he emigrated to France, where, after the German occupation of Paris in 1940, he tragically took his own life. This coin, with its reference to the corona civica, serves as a fitting tribute to a man who, like those honored by such a decoration, displayed great resilience in the face of adversity.