115
3117
Gaius Caligula, with Agrippina I. Silver Denarius (3.69 g), AD 37-
41.
Lugdunum, AD 37/8. C CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR POT, bare
head of Gaius right.
Reverse:
AGRIPPINAMAT C CAES AVG GERM,
draped bust of Agrippina I right, hair tied in queue at back of neck.
RIC 8; Giard 169; BMC 8; RSC 4. Two magnificent portraits of the
finest style perfectly struck and centered on a full flan. Traces of luster
still present and lightly toned.
Very rare and among the finest examples
known
.
Superb Extremely Fine.
Perhaps more than any other emperor of Rome Caligula honored
his family on his coinage, both living and deceased members. Be-
sides his surviving sisters, amongst those so honored were his great-
grandfather Augustus, his grandfather Agrippa, his father Germani-
cus, and his mother and his two brothers, Agrippina I and Nero and
Drusus Caesars, the latter three succumbing in the family’s contest
for power against Sejanus, Tiberius’s notorious Praetorian Prefect.
Early in his reign, Caligula journeyed to the island of Pandataria,
where his mother had died while cruelly imprisoned at the order of Ti-
berius, and recovered her ashes. Agrippina had been a strong critic
of Tiberius’ principate, questioning him about the mysterious circum-
stances of her husband’s death and also accusing him of having
attempted to poison her. Under Sejanus’ manipulation, Tiberius’ ani-
mosity towards her and her family grew increasingly stronger, which
eventually lead to thembeing convicted of plottingagainst him. Nero
starved to death while imprisoned in Rome, and Drusus committed
suicide shortly after the trial. Agrippina, however, was banished to the
island of Pandataria where she was imprisoned under very brutal cir-
cumstances (she lost an eye while being flogged, and she was reg-
ularly withheld nourishment). Eventually she died there of starvation.
Estimated Value.......................................................... $25,000 - 30,000
Ex S. C. Markoff Collection (NAC 62, 6 October 2011), 2020.
