Obverse of Caligula Bronze As

Bronze As of Caligula
Caligula was the nickname given to Caius Caesar, the son of Germanicus and Agrippina Senior, who was born at Antioch in Syria in AD 12. Caligula was the nickname given to him by soldiers because from a few years old he used to wear the miniature uniform of a private soldier, which included the half-boot known as a caliga, and caligula is a familiar diminutive of this word, effectively naming him "little half-boot". He was nominated by Tiberius as his heir, and indeed became Emperor in AD 37. Apparently in his early years, he showed promise a making a good emperor, but is thought to have suffered from mental illness, and the later part of his reign became infamous for his personal depravity. He was murdered by a number of the Praetorian guards on 27th January 41.

The coin shown is an As which portrays a seated figure of Vesta holding a patera. Although we have attributed this coin to the year 37 AD, it could have been issued any time from 37 to 41 AD.