CARIA, Stratonicaea. Septimius Severus, with Geta as Caesar. AD 193-211. Æ (37mm, 28.32 g, 5h). Damnatio Memoriae. Philon, prytanis. AY K Λ CЄ CЄYHPOC ΠЄ AY CЄΠ ΓЄTAK C K, laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Septimius vis-à-vis [laureate, draped, and cuirassed bust of Geta]; c/ms: helmeted bust of Roma within circular incuse, and ΘEOY within rectangular incuse / ЄΠ ΠPY ЄΠI[TYNXANO]NTOC Γ ΦIΛΩNOC CTPATONIKЄΩN, Hecate standing facing, head left, wearing kalathos, holding patera in right hand and torch in left; at feet left, lighted altar. BMC 71; SNG von Aulock 2678. For c/ms: Howgego 188 and 536. Brown patina, flan adjustment marks. Good VF. Rare. Portrait of Geta erased, Caracalla’s Damnatio Memoriae of Geta applied after his murder in AD 211.
Upon Septimius’ passing in AD 211, his sons Caracalla and Geta assumed joint rule of the empire. Their joint rule was a failure, the Imperial Palace was separated into two sections and they threatened to divide the empire between them. During the Festival of Saturnalia, December 211, Caracalla tried unsuccessfully to have his brother assassinated. But a week later, at an arranged meeting in their mother’s quarters, Geta was murdered by Caracalla’s centurions.
Caracalla immediately ordered a damnatio memoriae of his brother’s image: statues were removed, paintings were destroyed or, like the Severan Tondo erased, and coins were recalled to have his image carved out. This damnatio was especially apparent on the provincial coinage of Pergamum in Mysia and Stratonicaea in Caria. It is estimated that approximately 95% of the dual bust types at Stratonicea have had the portrait of Geta erased, many of them having a countermark of Roma or Caracalla stamped over his bust.
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