Cladius Gothicus finaly got one

I bought a few lots from the sale, but when I look through the catalogue again and see all the wonderful pieces that I lost an on which I will probably never get a second chance, that hurts.

 

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Great coins, @Tejas

I recently photographed a Claudius II coin that I bought this fall:



Claudius II Gothicus AD 268-270. Billon Antoninianus, Siscia

Obverse: IMP CLAVDIVS AVG: Bust of Claudius Gothicus, radiate, cuirassed, right
Reverse: PAX AVG: Pax, draped, standing left, holding olive-branch in right hand and sceptre in left hand
Reference: RIC 186, RCV 11355
Size: 19 mm., 2,63 g. Conservation: good very fine

 

I agree that Claudius Gothicus was one of the unsung heroes of the dismal third century for the Roman Empire. Thank you everyone for sharing.



(My visitor, not my picture.)

It is always good to review the more obscure emperors:

 

My favorite Claudius is this Antioch ant with decent silvering, BIG flan, and an unusual left facing bust.

 

I have this common Claudius II Antoninian, but the legend always struck me as odd.
Much of the obverse legend is off flan, but the emperor's name should be discernible, only that it isn't. I read something like ALLIIIIVS AVG or similar.Or could this be Aurelianus, i.e. ... LIANVS AVG? Hm, I had this one down as Claudius II and I bought it as Claudius II, but I guess it is Aurelianus. If it is, the portrait is remarkably close to that of Claudius.

 

Yes, that is indeed an Aurelian; here's the MER-RIC page: http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/1595?...erence=&page=5&hpp=5&mod=result&from=advanced

 

Yeah, the coins of Aurelian were pretty ragged and ugly until his coinage reform.

 

It’s sometimes difficult to tell coins of Aurelian, Quintillus, and Claudius apart. In the early years, Aurelian evidently hadn’t evolved his giraffe neck yet

 

Somehow I prefer Aurelian's pre-reform coins to the later ones. I think the post-reform Antoniniae can look a bid sterile. I love those early lifelike portraits of Aurelian. Here is a nice one from my collection:

 

But of course, by far not all of Aurelian's post-reform portraits are sterile. Just look at this coin. Aurelian wearing a lorica hamata and full title as god and lord:



This coin I missed in an auction many years ago. It still hurts.