Sala (AD 211-217) AE 28 – Caracalla

Caracalla, 211-217 AD. AE28 (12.43g, 6h). Val. Moloxos, archon α´. AV K M AV ANTONЄINOC (sic), laureate bust right, slight drapery on left shoulder / ЄΠI OVAΛ MO ΛOΞ OV APX A CAΛH NΩN •, Hygieia, holding serpent and phiale, standing right, and Asclepius, leaning on serpent-entwined staff, standing left; between, small figure of Telesphorus. Good VF, dark green and red-brown patina. Very rare.

On this coin the letter “o” in Caracalla’s official name, Antoninus, is a clearly engraved omicron, rather than the omega more regularly encountered. Under a lens, however, the additional line visible suggests that the celator may have attempted to correct his mistake; as it proceeds over the letter and partially into the field, this line, however, may be part of a serendipitous die break.