The third emperor of the Iulius-Claudius dynasty.

Son of Tiberius' nephew. The nickname Caligula (little boots) is just a catchphrase. His 3-year reign ended when he was assassinated by the Praetorians.

GAIVS CAESAR AVGVSTVS GERMANICVS

Emperor Caligula's coinage was one of the most distinctive periods of Roman coinage. The extreme extravagance of the emperor and the brevity of his reign are also reflected on the coins. Caligula's coinage followed traditional Roman patterns, but also contained many innovations. The emperor often enlarged his own portrait and the abbreviations of his name (C. IVL. CAESAR DIVI. AUG. F.) to a large and striking size. He also featured many new deities and goddesses on coins, including his own deity, Caligula Augustus. Caligula's coinage was extremely expensive. The emperor used the coinage to create money for his own extravagant lifestyle. As a result, the quality of the money deteriorated significantly. Caligula's reign came to an abrupt end in 41 AD when he was assassinated. After the death of the emperor, the coinage was restored to the traditional Roman pattern.