Caracalla Silver Denarius 212AD Salus Reverse

Emperor Caracalla (r. 198-217 A.D.) Silver AR Denarius

Obverse: ANTONINVS PIVS AVG BRIT, Head of Caracalla, laureate, right

Reverse: P M TR P XV COS III P P, Salus, draped, seated left, feeding out of patera in right hand snake coiled round altar and holdind cornucopiae in left arm

Date: 212 A.D., RIC 196

Size: 20mm diameter, 2.65g weight

Composition: Silver

The "BRIT" title on this coin, short for "Britannicus," celebrates the military victories of Caracalla and his father Septimius Severus in the region of Caledonia (the Scottish highlands). Rome already controlled the island of Britain up to the highlands but faced increased Caledonian raids in the aftermath of the Roman Civil War of 193-197 A.D. In 209 A.D., Septimius Severus led an army past Hadrian's Wall into the highlands, followed by an army led by Caracalla a year later. The Roman forces suffered heavy casualties to the guerilla warfare tactics of the Caledonians and responded with a near-genocidal campaign of destruction, killing everyone in their paths.

The war ended due to Septimius' illness and death, Caracalla returning to Rome shortly after to solidify his power. Roman forces again withdrew to Hadrian's Wall, giving up all of their territorial gains. But the campaign did have the effect of greatly weakening the Caledonian tribes and reducing their raids, bringing relative peace to Roman Britain for decades to come.