Macrinus. AD 217-218. AR Denarius (21mm, 3.76 g, 6h). Rome mint, 1st officina. 3rd emission, AD 218. Laureate and draped bust right, wearing long beard / Aequitas standing left, holding scales and cornucopia. RIC IV 53; Clay Issue 3; RSC 2 (Antioch). Some green deposits, mostly on reverse. EF. Struck on a broad flan.

From the Style Collection.

Born in Mauretania, Macrinus received a legal education that enabled him to rise high as a bureaucrat in imperial service, to the post of Praetorian Prefect. In AD 216, Macrinus accompanied Caracalla to the east on a campaign, but while the emperor was visiting a temple, Macrinus learned that a letter implicating him in a plot was about to be delivered to Caracalla. Acting quickly, he procured Caracalla’s murder. Macrinus proclaimed his innocence and, while not everyone was convinced, he was still able to have the army leadership proclaim him emperor on 11 April AD 217. Though not a senator (he was the first of equestrian rank to become emperor), he adopted Marcus Aurelius as his model. His coin portraits start off with a short-stubbly beard imitating Caracalla, but are soon superseded by a long-bearded head of the Antonine mold, as seen here.

Closing Date and Time: 20 November 2019 at 10:11:40 ET.

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