Plautilla, wife of Caracalla, Rome mint, 204 AD.,
Denarius (18-19 mm / 3,39 g), silver, axis medal alignment ↑↑ (ca. 0°),
Obv.: PLAVTILLA - AVGVSTA , draped bust of Plautilla right, thin die-break above head.
Rev.: VENVS VICTRIX, Venus standing left, bare to the waist, resting her left elbow on oval shield and holding apple in her right hand and palm branch in her left; to left, Cupid standing left, holding helmet in both hands.
RIC 369 ; BMC 238, 428–429 ; Coh. 25–25a .
ex Münzzentrum Köln 82, (1995), no. 659 (est. 150 DM)
Publia Fulvia Plautilla was the daughter of Gaius Fulvius Plautianus, a fellow-countryman and close companion of Severus from Lepcis who used that connection to gain great power and influence, becoming praetorian prefect in 197. He managed to convince Severus to have Caracalla marry his daughter in 202, a marriage that apparently neither desired (and that Julia Domna, who very much disliked Plautianus, also vehemently opposed). The marriage was celebrated with great pomp, but it seems to have been extremely unhappy from the beginning since Caracalla hated her and she did not think much of him. Plautianus made things worse thanks to his ever-increasing lust for power and wealth, which reached such levels that he seems to have hatched a plot to kill the emperors. This plot was discovered by Caracalla, and Severus then allowed him summarily execute Plautianus in January 205. This marked the end of the marriage as well, since Caracalla immediately divorced Plautilla and had her banished to Lipari. She remained there until Caracalla had her killed shortly after he murdered his brother Geta in late 211.