A new member with his new coin: Claudius Denarius

[John060167]

Hey, I am John. Saw this is a new “alternative” to cointalk, and since I have been trying to join there forever but never could, well they can just suck it then!

 

Anyway, Id like to share a new pickup…I picked up an upgrade to my only coin of Claudius, which is a bronze as. The upgrade is a Claudius denarius!

 

Claudius in denarii is tough to get, alongside Caligula… so I was pretty stoked when I won it for a good price!

 

Anyhow, here is some info on the coin:

 

Roman Imperial:

Claudius (r.41-54)

AR denarius, 19mm, 3.66g

struck 51-52, Rome mint.

RIC I 62

Obv: TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P XI IMP P P COS V, laureate head of Claudius to right 

Rev: PACI AVGVSTAE, Pax/Nemesis advancing to right, holding drapery and pointing caduceus at snake.

 

About the coin itself, it is not perfect but it is still in pretty nice shape overall! Well struck and centered, decent grade, good weight and solid silver (a lot of Claudius denarii from this era tend to be fourrees as they were made in high numbers in Britain during Claudius’ invasion, so keep that in mind. They tend to be too underweight compared to genuine silver examples, often under 3g, sometimes a bit over. You can also see base metal exposure often too. ) The main issue with this coin is some uneven toning and black spots but otherwise nice!

A bit about Claudius. Claudius had some physical disabilities and was never taken seriously by his family, hence why he survived the various persecutions of both Tiberius and Caligula. Nobody ever figured he would take the imperial purple for himself, so he was never seen as a threat. When the Praetorians were looking for a replacement for Caligula, they saw Claudius as the perfect man since they figured they could make him their puppet. However Claudius turned out to be much more competent than people imagined, he did a lot during his time as emperor participating in court cases and making various decrees often and even successfully invaded Britannia, something Caesar 100 years before did not even succcessfully do! Overall I have great respect for Claudius as he is like an underdog who everyone grossly underestimated due to his disabilities, but turned out to be pretty competent, arguably just behind Augustus himself!

 

Do you have any denarii of Claudius, or any julio claudians for that matter?

 

Cheers!

 

 

Edited June 17, 2022 by John060167

[Riley]

8 minutes ago, John060167 said:

Hey, I am John. Saw this is a new “alternative” to cointalk, and since I have been trying to join there forever but never could, well they can just suck it then!

 

Anyway, Id like to share a new pickup…I picked up an upgrade to my only coin of Claudius, which is a bronze as. The upgrade is a Claudius denarius!

 

Claudius in denarii is tough to get, alongside Caligula… so I was pretty stoked when I somehow managed to get a dealer selling this coin to discount about 40% of his ask! (Sometimes its just worth to ask for a discount lol)

 

Anyhow, here is some info on the coin:

 

Roman Imperial:

Claudius (r.41-54)

AR denarius, 17mm, 3.35g

struck 46-47, Rome mint.

RIC I 41

Obv:TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI, laureate head of Claudius right.

Rev: SPQR PP OB CS, legend in three lines surrounded by oak wreath.

 

About the coin itself, it is not perfect but it is still in pretty nice shape overall! Well struck and centered, decent grade, good weight and solid silver (a lot of Claudius denarii from this era tend to be fourrees as they were made in high numbers in Britain during Claudius’ invasion, so keep that in mind. They tend to be too underweight compared to genuine silver examples, often under 3g, sometimes a bit over. You can also see base metal exposure often too. ) The main issue with this coin is it has some pitting and a flan flaw on the obv but besides that it is pretty nice!

For those wondering what the SPQR PP OBCS thing means; it stands for Senatus Populus Que Romanus Pater Patriae Ob Civis Servatos, meaning: From the senate and the roman people to the father of the nation, savior of the people. It is apparently thanking him for saving the lives of roman citizens, similarly to how Augustus was given the same thanks years before. This is because after Caligula’s assasination, the Roman Empire could have been embroiled in internal conflict figuring out what to do next, who should have been the next princeps, even what form of government should replace the princeps, etc. that is until the praetorians presented Claudius as their guy. 

Claudius had some physical disabilities and was never taken seriously by his family, hence why he survived the various persecutions of both Tiberius and Caligula. Nobody ever figured he would take the imperial purple for himself, so he was never seen as a threat. When the Praetorians were looking for a replacement for Caligula, they saw Claudius as the perfect man since they figured they could make him their puppet. However Claudius turned out to be much more competent than people imagined, he did a lot during his time as emperor participating in court cases and making various decrees often and even successfully invaded Britannia, something Caesar 100 years before did not even succcessfully do! Overall I have great respect for Claudius as he is like an underdog who everyone grossly underestimated due to his disabilities, but turned out to be pretty competent, arguably just behind Augustus himself!

 

Do you have any denarii of Claudius, or any julio claudians for that matter?

 

Cheers!

Really loving that reverse design. Btw, welcome to the forum!

Edited May 28, 2022 by Riley

[Roman Collector]

Welcome to ACC, @John060167, and congratulations on the coin!! Denarii of the Julio-Claudians are indeed in high demand and therefore pricy! For all the hundreds of Roman coins in my numophylacium, I don't yet have a denarius of Claudius I. 😮 I get distracted ...

[CPK]

Welcome to the forum! That is a great coin. (I believe I recognize it, great dealer too!) Congrats!

I also like collection coins of Claudius. I have a number of them, but no denarii yet. Perhaps someday!

Here's one of my Claudius coins:

 

[AncientNumis]

5 hours ago, John060167 said:

Hey, I am John. Saw this is a new “alternative” to cointalk, and since I have been trying to join there forever but never could, well they can just suck it then!

 

Anyway, Id like to share a new pickup…I picked up an upgrade to my only coin of Claudius, which is a bronze as. The upgrade is a Claudius denarius!

 

Claudius in denarii is tough to get, alongside Caligula… so I was pretty stoked when I somehow managed to get a dealer selling this coin to discount about 40% of his ask! (Sometimes its just worth to ask for a discount lol)

 

Anyhow, here is some info on the coin:

 

Roman Imperial:

Claudius (r.41-54)

AR denarius, 17mm, 3.35g

struck 46-47, Rome mint.

RIC I 41

Obv:TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VI IMP XI, laureate head of Claudius right.

Rev: SPQR PP OB CS, legend in three lines surrounded by oak wreath.

 

About the coin itself, it is not perfect but it is still in pretty nice shape overall! Well struck and centered, decent grade, good weight and solid silver (a lot of Claudius denarii from this era tend to be fourrees as they were made in high numbers in Britain during Claudius’ invasion, so keep that in mind. They tend to be too underweight compared to genuine silver examples, often under 3g, sometimes a bit over. You can also see base metal exposure often too. ) The main issue with this coin is it has some pitting and a flan flaw on the obv but besides that it is pretty nice!

For those wondering what the SPQR PP OBCS thing means; it stands for Senatus Populus Que Romanus Pater Patriae Ob Civis Servatos, meaning: From the senate and the roman people to the father of the nation, savior of the people. It is apparently thanking him for saving the lives of roman citizens, similarly to how Augustus was given the same thanks years before. This is because after Caligula’s assasination, the Roman Empire could have been embroiled in internal conflict figuring out what to do next, who should have been the next princeps, even what form of government should replace the princeps, etc. that is until the praetorians presented Claudius as their guy. 

Claudius had some physical disabilities and was never taken seriously by his family, hence why he survived the various persecutions of both Tiberius and Caligula. Nobody ever figured he would take the imperial purple for himself, so he was never seen as a threat. When the Praetorians were looking for a replacement for Caligula, they saw Claudius as the perfect man since they figured they could make him their puppet. However Claudius turned out to be much more competent than people imagined, he did a lot during his time as emperor participating in court cases and making various decrees often and even successfully invaded Britannia, something Caesar 100 years before did not even succcessfully do! Overall I have great respect for Claudius as he is like an underdog who everyone grossly underestimated due to his disabilities, but turned out to be pretty competent, arguably just behind Augustus himself!

 

Do you have any denarii of Claudius, or any julio claudians for that matter?

 

Cheers!

John!!! That's a lovely coin (think I saw it on the discord 🙂) So so glad to see you here, and really happy you could join. Wow there are more and more great new members here every day 😄 

[Ryro]

Sweet! Well, we're all new here! And agreed, they can suck it🍆!

Here's my fourée:

[Alegandron]

Welcome @John060167!

My only Claudius...

CLAUDIUS


RI Claudius 41-54 Ae As 28mm LIBERTAS AVGVSTA holding pileus S-C RIC 113

[idesofmarch01]

9 hours ago, John060167 said:

About the coin itself, it is not perfect but it is still in pretty nice shape overall! Well struck and centered, decent grade, good weight and solid silver (a lot of Claudius denarii from this era tend to be fourrees as they were made in high numbers in Britain during Claudius’ invasion, so keep that in mind. They tend to be too underweight compared to genuine silver examples, often under 3g, sometimes a bit over. You can also see base metal exposure often too. ) The main issue with this coin is it has some pitting and a flan flaw on the obv but besides that it is pretty nice!

Claudius is one of my favorite emperors despite his somewhat checkered reputation (partially due to that ancient gossip Suetonius).

I agree your coin is in pretty nice shape overall and I wouldn't be too concerned about the pitting as long as the coin isn't exhibiting porosity.  In addition, the obverse is my personally preferred Claudius portrait, regardless of the fact that occasionally other portraits are considered slightly more artistic; my aureus and denarius both have this style of obverse portrait. 

 

[CPK]

29 minutes ago, idesofmarch01 said:

Claudius is one of my favorite emperors despite his somewhat checkered reputation (partially due to that ancient gossip Suetonius).

I agree your coin is in pretty nice shape overall and I wouldn't be too concerned about the pitting as long as the coin isn't exhibiting porosity.  In addition, the obverse is my personally preferred Claudius portrait, regardless of the fact that occasionally other portraits are considered slightly more artistic; my aureus and denarius both have this style of obverse portrait. 

 

We need something better than a "like" for this!! That is an outstanding coin!!!

[DonnaML]

That's a wonderful denarius! I have no Claudius I denarii -- way too expensive! Only a couple of bronze asses and a couple of Roman Alexandrian tetradrachms.

Claudius I AE As, AD 42, Rome Mint. Obv. Bare head left, TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P / Rev. Libertas standing facing, head right, holding pileus in right hand, left hand extended, LIBERTAS AVGVSTA / S - C. RIC I 113, Sear RCV I 1860, BMCRE 202. 31.62 mm., 11.18 g.



Claudius I AE As, AD 42-54, Spanish Mint. Obv. Bare head left, TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP / Rev. Minerva advancing right, brandishing spear & holding shield, S - C across fields. RIC I 116, Sear RCV I 1862, BMCRE 206. 26.7 mm., 8.99 g.

Claudius I, billon [Sear]/AR [RPC] Tetradrachm, Year 2 [41/42 AD], Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΤΙ ΚΛΑVΔΙ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙ ΑVΤΟΚΡ around, LΒ [Year 2] under chin / Rev. Draped bust of Antonia [Claudius’s mother] right, ΑΝΤΩΝΙΑ upwards to left, ΣΕΒΑΣΤΗ downwards to right. ); https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5117; Emmett 73.2 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Sear RCV I 1868 (ill.); Sear GIC 492 (ill.) [D. Sear, Greek Imperial Coins and their Values (1982)]; BMC 16 Alexandria 65 at p. 9 [Poole, Reginald Stuart, A Catalog of the Greek Coins in the British Museum, Vol. 16, Alexandria (London, 1892)]; K & G 12.3 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria (2008)]; Milne 61-64 at p. 3 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; Dattari (Savio) 114 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]. 24 mm., 11.25 g.



Claudius I, billon [Sear & others]/AR [RPC] Tetradrachm, Year 4 [43/44 AD], Alexandria, Egypt Mint. Obv. Laureate head right, ΤΙ ΚΛΑVΔΙ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙ ΑVΤΟΚΡ around, LΔ [Year 4] under chin / Rev. Messalina [Third wife of Claudius and mother of Britannicus] as Demeter, standing facing, head left, wearing long chiton, leaning left elbow on short column, holding grain ears in left arm and two standing children [representing Claudia Octavia and Britannicus*] on outstretched right hand; to left, lituus; ΜΕΣΣΑΛΙΝΑ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑΣ. RPC [Roman Provincial Coinage] Vol. I 5146 (1992); RPC I Online at https://rpc.ashmus.ox.ac.uk/coins/1/5146; Emmett 74.4 [Emmett, Keith, Alexandrian Coins (Lodi, WI, 2001)]; Milne 93 at p. 3 [Milne, J.G., Catalogue of Alexandrian Coins (Oxford 1933, reprint with supplement by Colin M. Kraay, 1971)]; K&G 12.36 [Kampmann, Ursula & Ganschow, Thomas, Die Münzen der römischen Münzstätte Alexandria (2008)]; Dattari (Savio) 126198 [Savio, A. ed., Catalogo completo della collezione Dattari Numi Augg. Alexandrini (Trieste, 2007)]; Köln 82 [Geissen, A., Katalog alexandrinischer Kaisermünzen, Köln, Band I (Augustus-Trajan) (Cologne, 1974); Sear RCV I 1869 [Year 6; ill. of Year 2 w/lituus at p. 369.] 23 mm., 13.02 g., 12 h.



*Her two children with Claudius, both born before Year 4 of Claudius’s reign; Claudia Octavia later became the Emperor Nero’s first wife. See note in Sear RCV I at p. 369.

 

[Severus Alexander]

It's quite a coup to score a Claudius denarius!  I've never been willing to pony up.  Still, I'm content with my other coins of his.  My two favourites are this As and quadrans:

[John060167]

thanks for sharing guys! Ive really been looking for a cointalk like community that I could actually join in myself, so happy to be here!  @CPK @DonnaML @Alegandronyou all have very nice asses, thanks for sharing them to me! haha…hope that doesnt sound too weird.

My as of claudius is pretty rough, got it in a trade with a friend…same or at least similar variety to yours @Severus Alexander, here it is! 

 

@idesofmarch01your denarius blows me away, really high quality coin! Not to mention you have an aureus? Congrats…have a picture of that?

 

@Ryro Thanks for sharing that fourree, as far as Im aware they were made in Romano Britain following the invasion and due to the large influx of Romans coming in, they had to supplement the population with this kind of coinage. Im assuming this wasnt officially sanctioned(?) but the fourrees of this era seem to be of pretty good quality,  sometimes it is not easy to tell them apart if the base core isn’t  exposed or weight being too light. It is an interesting series, I do have a few questions about these types. If anyone knows of any papers or books that talks about the topic, please let me know!

 

Cheers

 

[ominus1]

15 minutes ago, John060167 said:

you all have very nice asses,

..hahaha...i think i'm gonna luv this place ><

Edited May 29, 2022 by ominus1
misspelling

[Alegandron]

4 minutes ago, ominus1 said:

..hahaha...i think i'm gonna luv this place ><

Yessir! @Restitutor has created JUUUST the right environment!

[Qcumbor]

Despite its (minor) flaws, I would love a denarius as yours @John060167

I have two Claudius middle bronzes :

Claudius, Dupondius 

TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, head left
CERES AVGVSTA, Ceres, veiled and draped, seated left on ornamental throne, holding two corn-ears and a long torch, S C in exergue.
11,20 gr
Ref : RCV # 1855, RIC # 94

 

Claudius, As produced at a "branch mint", AD 41-42
TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP, Bare head of Claudius left
CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI, Constantia helmeted standing left holding spear, SC in field
10,84 gr
Ref : RCV #1857, Cohen #14
For better understanding of where this might have been minted, see : http://www.forumancientcoins.com/board/index.php?topic=65318.0

 

Q

[Jeremy]

Welcome! I don't have a denarius of Claudius, but here are a couple of other examples from my collection:

Claudius Æ as 

42-43 AD
Minted at Rome
Obverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP P P; Bare head left.
Reverse: LIBERTAS AVGVSTA, S-C; Libertas standing facing with pileus, extending left hand. 
References: RIC I 113; Cohen 47; BMCRE 202; von Kaenel Type 77; CBN 230; Cohen 47; Sear (Roman Coins and Their Values I) 1860.   28mm; 11.1g

Claudius Æ as 

41-50 AD
Obverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP; Bare head of Claudius left.
Reverse: S-C; Minerva, helmeted and draped, advancing right, levelling javelin in right hand and shield in left.
References: RIC 100; BMC 149; BN 180; Sear 639.
27mm; 10.95g

 

Edited May 29, 2022 by Jeremy

[idesofmarch01]

2 hours ago, John060167 said:

Not to mention you have an aureus? Congrats…have a picture of that?

Part of my 12 Caesars collection is a "mint set" (my designation) of Claudius's coins.  For those who haven't seen these too many times already on the previous website:

 

[Qcumbor]

Always glad to see them @idesofmarch01 : no harm in dreaming !!

Q

[Romancollector]

Here's my only Claudius denarius....it's not quite as impressive as Ides', but a nice coin nonetheless.

[Edessa]

Welcome and beautiful coins, all. Some Claudius Tets are a bit more attainable than nice denarii. A nice Claudius denarius has been on my want list for years!

Roman Asia Minor, Ionia, Ephesus. Claudius, with Agrippina Junior, AD 49-54. AR Cistophoric Tetradrachm (25mm, 10.71g, 6h). Ephesus mint. Struck circa AD 50-51. Obv: TI CLAVD CAES AVG AGRIPP AVGVSTA; Laureate head of Claudius and draped bust of Agrippina left, conjoined. Rev: DIANA EPHESIA; Cult statue of Diana (Artemis) Ephesia. Ref: RIC I 119; RPC I 2224; RSC 1. Very Fine, nice toning. Ex WAG Auction, February 2009, Lot 193.

[Etcherdude]

My Claudius

Claudius. AD 41-54. Æ As (27mm, 12.33 g, 6h). Rome mint. Struck AD 41-42. Bare head left / Libertas standing right, holding pileus and extending left hand. RIC I 97; von Kaenel Type 62. 

[AncientOne]

Welcome and nice hard to get denarius!

Iv'e posted this one more than a few times but hey, it's for the new guy!

Achaea. Laconia, Lacedaemon(Sparta). Claudius Æ25. Piloi of the Dioscuri.

Obv: TI KLAVDIOC KAICAP; laureate bust right. Rev: EΠI ΛAKΩNOΣ; piloi of the Dioscuri; two stars above (Upside down). Magistrate Lacon RPC 1115 var.

[Octavius]

 Claudius is one of my favorite emperors - second only to Nero.

I would highly recommend the old classics by Robert Graves, I Claudius ,  and Claudius The God, for anyone interested in Claudius or any of the Julio-Claudians for that matter. It is a great way to learn who's who and how they all are related to each other.

Here is a selection of several of his denominations...

aureus announcing his successor Nero

Denarius with Praetorian camp

Two of his sestertii

Dupondius with Ceres reverse

Three different types of his asses...

[chevalier]

On 5/28/2022 at 11:20 PM, Ryro said:

Sweet! Well, we're all new here! And agreed, they can suck it🍆!

Here's my fourée:

 

[chevalier]

Claudius. Denario forrado. 50-51 AD. Lugdunum. (Spink-1848 var). (Ric-60).