Provincial bronze issue of Geta (AD 209–212 as Caesar), son of Septimius Severus, struck at Apamea in Bithynia, belongs to the civic coinage of Asia Minor, where mythological and locally rooted themes were prominently featured.
The obverse shows a head of the young ruler facing right, with the legend L SEPT GETA CAES, clearly identifying him as Caesar. The legend and simplified portrait type correspond to issues from the period when Geta acted as heir within the Severan dynastic program.
The reverse depicts Aphrodite seated on a dolphin, facing left, with the legend C I C A D D. This imagery belongs to a well-established Greek iconographic tradition in which Aphrodite, as the goddess of love and beauty, is associated with marine motifs. The dolphin refers both to her mythical birth from the sea and to her protective role over maritime activity.
Roman Provincial
Bithynia, Apamea, Geta (209–212) as caesar, AE
Obverse: bare head right
L SEPT GETA CAES
Reverse: Aphrodite seated on dolphin left
C I C A D D
Diameter 20 mm, weight 4.79 g
