Caracalla as Caesar, Silver Denarius.

Caracalla was the son of Septimius Severus and the brother of Geta. His reign was a notorious one, as he was known as a harsh and paranoid person. He had his brother Geta murdered just before 212 CE, soon after the death of their father, and condemned Geta to a damnatio memoriae, or an official erasure from memory. Geta’s face was literally removed from paintings, statues and other works of art erected by their father. This coin shows Caracalla as a boy and it was released under the reign of his father Septimius. The name Caracalla is only a nickname taken from a Gaul-style military cloak he favored wearing. His later appearance on coinage and relief is mean and intimidating, a far cry from this young promising youth.