Copper As of Agrippa RIC 58 (Tooled)

Copper AS 28mm, 12.88g Struck 37-41 A.D Rome (tooled)

Obv:M AGRIPPA L F COS III Head left wearing Rostral crown

Rev: S C Neptune standing facing left SC at sides

RIC 58 (Caligula), Sear 1812

Even though this coin has Agrippa’s face on it, he had actually been dead for nearly fifty years when this specific coin was made. The real story here is all about family drama, political marketing, and a very famous, chaotic emperor trying to look good to the public.

Who was Agrippa?

Agrippa was essentially the ultimate right-hand man. He was the best friend, top general, and son-in-law of Rome's very first emperor, Augustus.

Agrippa was the military genius who won the famous Battle of Actium in 31 BC, defeating Mark Antony and Cleopatra. That massive naval victory secured the Roman Empire for Augustus. Because Agrippa was such a legendary naval commander, the front (obverse) of the coin shows him wearing a rostral crown—a special military crown decorated with the miniature prows of enemy warships.

The Twist: Enter Caligula (AD 37–41)

The date of this coin (AD 37–41) tells us exactly who actually minted it: the infamous emperor Caligula (whose official name was Gaius Caesar).

When Caligula became emperor, his family tree was a bit complicated. His paternal grandfather was Drusus (a respected general), but his maternal grandfather was none other than Agrippa.

Caligula had a massive PR problem. The previous emperor, Tiberius, had grown deeply unpopular, and Caligula needed to show the Roman public and the army that he was the rightful, glorious heir to the empire. To do this, he launched a massive propaganda campaign celebrating his coolest dead relatives.

By minting millions of these copper coins with his grandfather Agrippa’s face on them, Caligula was basically telling everyone: "Look at my pedigree! I am the grandson of the ultimate Roman war hero!"

Decoding the Symbols

Every inch of this pocket change was designed to send a message to the average Roman citizen buying bread in the market:

• The Front (Obverse): Reads M AGRIPPA L F COS III (Marcus Agrippa, Son of Lucius, Consul for the Third Time). He faces left, wearing that iconic naval crown.
• The Back (Reverse): Features Neptune, the god of the sea, holding a trident and a dolphin. This is a direct nod to Agrippa's mastery over the oceans and his victory at Actium.
• The Letters S C: This stands for Senatus Consulto ("By Decree of the Senate"). It was the official stamp of approval showing the coin was legal tender backed by the Roman government.

The "Tooled" Note

The webpage mentions that this specific coin is tooled. In the coin collecting world, that means a past owner or restorer used a sharp tool to carve into the metal and artificially sharpen the worn-down details (like the hair lines or letters) to make it look nicer. While it makes the design pop, it's a form of alteration that collectors always look out for!

Ultimately, this little piece of copper is a perfect window into how Roman emperors used money as mass-media propaganda to secure their thrones.