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The three emperors issued a large number of military type coins, where the emperor is seen in full armour on a horse or in a chariot, sometimes with a soldier, sometimes with a captive, and sometimes killing a foe. All of these coins minted in the 208 to 211 AD timeframe are implicitly related to the campaigns in Britain, but we’ll focus on the sub-set which have PROF in the legend. PROF is short for Profectio which was used when the emperor was leaving for war.
Septimius Severus minted two coins and a medallion of this type in 208 AD, but Caracalla minted this type of coin in both 208 AD and 209 AD. His coins have six reverse types and fifteen denomination-and-legend variations, which is in keeping with his character. As Geta was a Caesar and not an Augustus, he didn’t mint any coins of this type.
The coins can be interpreted in a number of different ways, and I’ve been unable to find anything that conclusively proves or disproves any of these scenarios:
- All coins are for the emperors leaving Rome in 208 AD
- The coins represent the emperors leaving Rome in 208 AD and York in 209 AD
- The coins represent the emperors leaving York in 208 AD and York in 209 AD
In conjunction with any of the above, Caracalla may or may not have lead a solo campaign in 208 AD which he celebrated on the coins.
I’ve written an article that goes into these coins in more depth, explaining how these scenarios are derived. Regardless of why the various types were minted, here they are.
Type 1: Emperor on Horse Riding Right
Photo Copyright Classical Numismatic Group, LLC. Auction 72 lot 1575. Sold for $300 + fees
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | ||
| Caracalla PROF | RIC 4 107 Denarius | |
| Caracalla PROF AVGG | RIC 4 432 Sestertius |
Type 2: Emperor on Horse Riding Right, With Soldier in Front
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | RIC 4 225a Denarius | |
| Caracalla PROF | RIC 4 107 var Denarius | |
| Caracalla PROF AVGG |
Type 3: Emperor on Horse Riding Right, with Soldier in Front and Soldier Behind
Photo © Trustees of the British Museum (CC BY-NC-SA 4.0). Number 1872,0709.780
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | ||
| Caracalla PROF | ||
| Caracalla PROF AVGG | RIC 4 445 Sestertius |
Type 4: Emperor on Horse Riding Right, with Soldier in Front and Two Soldiers Behind
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | RIC 4 780 Sestertius | |
| Caracalla PROF | ||
| Caracalla PROF AVGG | RIC 4 433 Sestertius |
Type 5: Emperor on Horse Riding Right, with Fallen Foe in Front
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | ||
| Caracalla PROF | RIC 4 108 Denarius | |
| Caracalla PROF AVGG | RIC 4 440 As | RIC 4 446 Dupondius |
Type 6: Emperor on Horse Riding Left, with Fallen Foe in Front
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | ||
| Caracalla PROF | RIC 4 439 As (See note) | |
| Caracalla PROF AVGG | RIC 4 431 Sestertius RIC 4 438 As | RIC 4 449A As RIC 4 449B As |
Note that RIC 4 439 is the only bronze coin without AVGG on it. It is marked in RIC 4 with “C.517 (rev. legend ?)”, suggesting Cohen just made a mistake cataloguing it. It has not been possible to find an example to determine what the legend is.
Type 7: Three Emperors on horses riding right, with soldier in front and two soldiers behind
This medallion is in the Vatican’s collection and no photo is available. A photo of a cast can be seen here.
| Emperor | 208 AD | 209 AD |
|---|---|---|
| Septimius Severus | Not in RIC | |
| Caracalla PROF | ||
| Caracalla PROF AVGG |
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