Gaius (Caligula), with Divus Augustus, 37-41. Aureus (Gold, 20 mm, 7.50 g, 12 h), Lugdunum, 37-38. C•CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TR•POT•COS• Bare head of Gaius to right. Rev. Radiate head of Divus Augustus to right; to left and right, stars. BMC 2. Calicó 336. CBN 1. Cohen 10. Giard 156. RIC 1. Very rare. A lovely example with two attractive portraits and very well centered on a full flan. Very light deposits and with faint cleaning scratches, otherwise, good very fine.


This aureus is a striking example of the dynastic self-fashioning of Gaius (Caligula), who, as Augustus’ great-grandson, deliberately positioned himself in the lineage of the first princeps. On the obverse, Caligula appears bareheaded and is identified by his titulature, giving the portrait an emphatically contemporary and official character. The anepigraphic reverse depicts Divus Augustus with a radiate crown between two stars, conveying his apotheosis through iconography alone. By juxtaposing the living princeps with his deified ancestor, the coin becomes a vehicle of dynastic legitimation. Caligula’s rule is thus presented as the direct continuation of the Augustan legacy.