GETA, as Caesar
AD 198-209
AR Denarius. 3.57g, 20mm
MINTED: Rome mint, AD 200-202
REF: RIC 9a; Cohen 38; BMC 220
OBVERSE: P SEPT GETA CAES PONT, Bare-headed, draped and cuirassed bust right.
REVERSE: FELICITAS PVBLICA, Felicitas standing left, holding caduceus in her right hand and cornucopiae with her left.
 
Provenance: 
From an old Swiss collection, purchased in the 1960s or 1970s from Numiphil Basel (with their original ticket)
 
Notes: 
Lightly toned; some minor edge splits. Better in hand.
Reverse exhibiting the interesting results of a die clash.  Die clashes were produced when the dies were accidentally struck without a planchet between them.  In this instance, the outline of the portrait from the obverse die was impressed onto the reverse die because of the force of the dies being struck against each other.  We can thus see on the reverse of this coin in front of the figure of Felicitas an imprint of Geta's head.
 
Historical Notes:
Upon the death of Septimius Severus, Geta and his older brother, Caracalla, were proclaimed co-rulers of the Roman empire. Where Caracalla was forceful, brutal and domineering, Geta was thoughtful, urbane and charming. Rome had had co-emperors before in the past, but never two that hated each other as passionately as did the Caracalla and Geta. In the months that followed their coronation, the rivalry between the two young emperors grew so great that at times it seemed like they might decide to simply divide the empire into halves. 
 
Finally, Caracalla asked their mother, the empress Julia Domna, to arrange a meeting where the brothers might discuss a reconciliation. Caracalla then arranged for centurions loyal to him to ambush the meeting and murder Geta, who died in his mother's arms.