Rare Roman Coin of Germanicus

This AE As was struck honoring the late Germanicus during the reign of his brother Claudius. (Cohen 9, BMC 241) The obverse bears his head R. with the inscription "GERMANICVS CAESAR TI AVG F DIVI AVG N". The reverse inscription is "TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P IMP PP" around a large SC. The condition is VF with a nice green patina, but deduct a little for the cut & peck marks to the surfaces.

Germanicus was born in Rome in 15 BC. His parents were the general Nero Claudius Drusus (son of Empress Livia Drusilla, third wife of Emperor Augustus, by her first husband Tiberius Claudius Nero) and Antonia Minor (the younger daughter of the triumvir Mark Antony and Octavia Minor, sister of Augustus). He was the brother of Claudius and the father of Caligula. His original name at birth was either Nero Claudius Drusus after his father, or Tiberius Claudius Nero after his uncle, the second Roman emperor Tiberius. The agnomen Germanicus was added to his full name in 9 BC when it was posthumously awarded to his father in honour of his victories in Germania. By AD 4 he was adopted as Tiberius' son and heir. As a result, Germanicus was adopted out of the Claudii and into the Julii. In accordance with Roman naming conventions, he adopted the name Germanicus Julius Caesar.

He was one of the most formidable generals of the early Roman Empire. His victories against Arminius in Germany healed the Roman psychological trauma from the Varus disaster, and greatly recovered Roman prestige. In addition to the recovery of two of the three eagles, he engaged the Germanic leader (Arminius) who had destroyed three Roman legions in 9 AD, in a decisive victory and his troops were able to locate the remains of those dead Romans.

The emperor Tiberius was afraid of his growing power and sent him to Asia, where he defeated the kingdoms of Cappadocia and Commagene. They became Roman provinces. He died under mysterious circumstances in Syria c. 18 AD - many sources suspect that he was poisoned by order of Tiberius.