One of my (many) regrets is that I haven’t paid enough attention to these coins. Now I am belatedly purchasing examples of them (which I stated I wouldn’t do anymore - although we all know how that goes?!) in order to make my web pages more meaningful - and I have discovered they can be quite pricey now! In any event, here are some of them incorporated into my web site: As Mattingly points out in "Coins of the Roman Empire in the British Museum" (BMCRE), Volume I, the main purpose of Countermarks on coins was to extend their circulation under new authority. In his article "The Countermark PROB on Coins of Claudius I from Britain" (The Numismatic Chronicle Vol. 148 {1988}, pp. 53-61), Robert Kenyon points out that after his conquest of Britain in 42AD, Claudius issued large quantities of early OB CIVES SERVATOS (without PP) and SPES Sestertii of 41AD (minted in Rome) for use in general commerce in Britain. All of this coinage was countermarked PROB (Probatum=approved) on the coin obverse. It seems that there was a large amount of irregular coinage struck in Gaul with Roman Imperial approval in order to provide additional currency, especially in Britain following the conquest of that country by Claudius. These coins were also countermarked PROB on the coin obverse and circulated as legal tender despite their often flawed appearance. Following is an example of a countermarked Claudius sestertius: BMCRE, Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 120, 41-45AD (38mm, 29.2gm) Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP Countermarked PROB Mattingly note - Cmk in oblong incuse in front of neck and face; end of legend obliterated Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath Inscription in four lines: EX SC O B C I V E S SERVATOS (within Civic Oak Wreath) Later (PP marked) coins were not so Countermarked and were probably not circulated in Britain: BMCRE Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 185, 42AD and on (38mm, 29.8gm) Plate 36. Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing right Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP Mattingly note - with PP (Pater Patriae) marking Reverse depiction: Civic Oak Wreath Inscription in four lines: EX SC P P OB CIVES SERVATOS (within Civic Oak Wreath) Claudius also Countermarked asses and dupondii of Caius (Caligula), especially those struck in honor of his father, Germanicus (who was also the brother of Claudius), in order to extend the supply of money after his expedition to Britain and his subsequent conquest of the island. Mattingly lists TIAV (Tiberius Claudius Augustus) as the Countermark used by Claudius on those coins. They were issued for extended circulation in Britain by Claudius following his Victory there. They were the common Roman denominations used as legal tender in Britannia - evidently for a very long time, for many are found in very worn condition. Following is an example of such a Countermarked coin: Much worn Dupondius, BMCRE, Vol I, Caligula, No. 93 (RIC, Vol I, No. 57) Reverse: Claudius Countermark TIAV in oblong incuse to left of head Mattingly, BMCRE, Vol. I, Caligula, No. 93 & Plate 30 Following is a depiction of the same coin in very fine condition for comparison; Archived photograph with attribution identification card style that I no longer use. (I no longer own this coin)
This is a very interesting post, jamesicus - I've developed a real interest in Greek and Roman countermarks recently and this is all new information for me. Thank you for posting it.
And thank you @Marsyas Mike. Mattingly has one of the best discussions relating to Julio-Claudian coin Countermarks (and some general Ancient coin countermark information) in BMCRE Volume I, and includes their association with individual coins in the catalog Section.
Here is my example: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP - Laureate head of Claudius right, traces of oblong countermark PROB in front of emperor’s neck / EX S C / OB / CIVES / SERVATOS infour lines within oak-wreath Sestertius, Gaul (?), ca. AD 43 34,75 mm / 23,49 gr RIC 96, note; BMCRE 120; CBN 155 and pl. XXV; cf. Cohen 39 Remarks by David Sear: "The style of the engraving on this specimen is rather careless (note especially the clumsy lettering in the obverse inscription) and is not up to the standard of the regular issues from the mint of Rome. There seems little doubt that it belongs to a large class of imitative coinage possibly struck in Gaul with government sanction in order to provide additional currency during the military build-up prior to the invasion of Britain in AD 43. Some other examples of ‘irregular’ coins of Claudius are very crudely made and may well have been produced in Britain itself following the Claudian invasion in an attempt to make good the shortage of currency in the newly conquered province. Although it is only faintly discernible, this specimen seems to have a weakly applied countermark placed before the emperor’s neck on obverse. This may read “PROB” which would indicate that the coin had been approved (probatus) to remain in circulation despite its irregular appearance. This and other countermarks are well known on base metal coins of this period, their purpose being to reauthorize the currency of coins that might otherwise have been deemed unsuitable for circulation due to excessive wear or their unofficial origin".
I’d like to get a book on countermarks of this period but I’m afraid it would have very limited information. I recently picked up this piece of Augustus and have found information on a similar piece from CNG. The countermarks are identified as to where it was done but not when, why or who. From CNG archives [Roman Imperial] AUGUSTUS. 27 BC-14 AD. Æ As (27mm, 8.67 g). Rome mint. Struck 15 BC. C. Plotius Rufus, moneyer. Legend in three lines within wreath / Large S C; countermarks: PP and CAE. RIC I 389; Cohen 504; Pangerl 22 and 77. Fine, dark brown patina.
Excellent information @Julius Germanicus - thank you very much for posting it. I think the observations of David Sear relating to the inscriptional lettering are spot on. The information relating to the officially sanctioned irregular coins produced in Gaul is of great importance. I am discovering interesting snippets of information as I scour old issues of Numismatic Chronicles and Journals (via JSTOR) - there is much yet to be gleaned on this very interesting subject.
Thank you for posting those excellent countermark exemplars, @H8_modern - I do not know anything about them either.
Much clearer photograph of countermark on As issued by Caius (Caligula): Agrippa Obverse and Neptune reverse As, BMCRE, Vol I, Tiberius, No. 168 (RIC, Vol I, No. 58) Plate 26 Reverse: Claudius Countermark TIAV in oblong incuse to left of head of Neptune. "in hand" enlargement of countermark: Neptune reverse As, BMCRE, Vol I, Tiberius, No. 168 (RIC, Vol I, No. 58) Plate 26 Reverse: Claudius Countermark TIAV in oblong incuse to left of head of Neptune.
