Obverse: Bare head of Emperor Caligula facing left, finely detailed in the realistic style characteristic of early imperial portraiture.
Reverse: Vesta seated left, holding a patera and scepter, symbolizing the sacred flame and eternal spirit of Rome.
Struck during the brief and turbulent reign of Caius Julius Caesar Germanicus, better known as Caligula, this coin reflects a period of dramatic contrast—initial optimism following the reign of Tiberius, soon overshadowed by instability and excess.
Caligula’s rule, though short-lived, remains one of the most infamous in Roman history, marked by extravagance, bold political moves, and eventual assassination in the year 41 AD.
Vesta, the goddess of the hearth and guardian of the Roman state, was central to Rome’s religious life. Her temple in the Forum housed the sacred flame tended by the Vestal Virgins, a symbol of Rome’s continuity and divine protection.
