italy sestertius 196-198 AD SPES of Caracalla as Caesar, 196-198 CE, Rome mint, Roman Empire circulated

Bare-headed, draped, and cuirassed bust right // Spes advancing left, holding flower and hem of skirt. Rome mint, struck 196-197 AD. 26mm, 15.00 grams. RIC IV 401; BMCRE 613; Cohen 595. 

Rare denomination for Caracalla.

Caracalla (reigned 198–217 CE) was a Roman emperor of the Severan dynasty, best known for his brutality, his sweeping grant of citizenship, and the massive bath complex that bears his name. Son of Septimius Severus, he first ruled jointly with his father and later with his brother Geta - whom he murdered in 211 to secure sole power. His reign was marked by military campaigning, heavy taxation, and political purges. In 212 he issued the Constitutio Antoniniana, granting Roman citizenship to nearly all free inhabitants of the empire, a major turning point in Roman legal history. Caracalla was assassinated in 217 during a campaign in the East, leaving behind a legacy of violence, centralization of authority, and monumental architecture.

Shipping