GAIUS (CALIGULA), with DIVUS AUGUSTUS. 37-41 AD. AR Denarius (18mm, 3.73 gm). Lugdunum (Lyon) mint. Struck 37-38 AD. C. CAESAR. AVG. GERM. P. M. TR. POT, laureate head of Caligula right / DIVVS. AVG PATER. PATRIAE., radiate head of Divus Augustus right. RIC I 16; BMCRE 17; BN 21; RSC 2. Toned, nice VF.
Gaius, the youngest son of Germanicus and Agrippina Senior, became emperor at only 25 years of age. Not having the experience or military prestige to assure his elevation, Gaius called on dynastic loyalty to win the support of the military and people of Rome. Accordingly, many of his coins concentrate on the dynastic theme, and the first type struck draws attention to his relationship to the founder of the empire, his great-grandfather Augustus.
