Greetings, I purchased this coin from eBay for under $10. I contacted the seller regarding its authenticity (where it was purchased from, etc.), however I did not receive a response. I know it is a Claudius II-era coin (268-270) but that is all I can garner. Any further information would be much appreciated. Cheers.
Hooboy... that coin is pretty gnarly. It probably is a coin Claudius II Gothicus, Pax reverse. The denomination is antoninianus. The obverse, if legible, would read IMP CLAVDIVS AVG (or something very similar). The emperor is portrayed wearing a radiate crown. The reverse reads PAX AVG and shows the Pax, the Roman personification of peace, holding a branch in her right hand, with a sceptre held transversely. There is nothing about its appearance that raises a red flag for fakery and it would be unusual (but not unheard of) to fake and artificially age this type of common coin.. Roman Imperial coins of this period in time were often not well made (Kevin in Quality Control was on a bender, apparently ). Low grade Roman coins of this and later eras can be purchased very cheaply. In bulk it is possible to get them for a few dollars each. At $10, I wouldn't necessarily say you overpaid but with a little patience you can find nicer ancient coins for the same money. Was there something about this particular coin that spoke to you? For a little more money you can acquire much nicer ancient coins. If you want to learn more about the type, or what an antoninianus is, or what it would buy back in the day, or many other questions about ancient coins, come join us on the CoinTalk Ancients board .
