Hi, Merry Christmas, and a safe and happy holiday season to all. I have this 'uncleaned' Claudius II Gothicus bronze coin, 19mm x 16.5mm, weight 1.6 gm, that I am having trouble attributing. Obverse: Radiate bust of Claudius II with the legend of DIVO CLAVDIO??? Reverse: Figure standing holding a standard (vertically) and another (transversely), with the legend FIDE???? I can find posthumous coins for Claudius II with a Radiate Bust on the obverse but they all seem to have either an 'Altar' or an 'Eagle' on the reverse. Is anyone able to help me please?
I haven't seen one of these before, but it seems to be an example of a group Sear refers to as 'hybrid' antoniniani, pairing the obverse of the posthumous altar/eagle types of Claudius II with various reverses of his lifetime issues. Yours, with the Fides (FIDES MILITVM) reverse, would be RIC V 273.
@> zumbly - Having checked my copy of RIC I believe that you are 100% correct. (Commemorative Issue, Series II) I checked 'Wildwinds', 'Acsearch' and a number of other sites, but I am a little bit intimidated by RIC, and I only afforded myself a cursory glance there. Again, thank-you. Thank-you for the help.
I have one of these little buggers! Host Coin: Italy Roman Empire Claudius II Gothicus AE Ant. 16 mm x 2.10 grams (s. AD 269) Obverse: MP CLAVDIVS AVG, Radiate head right Reverse FIDES MILITVM, Fides standing facing, head left, holding spear or sceptre in left hand and standard in right hand, epsilon in right field. Note: Counter marked VII by Ostrogoths (AD 520-530)
@>A.N. Without the right obverse legend 'DIVO CLAVDIO' I don't believe that your coin is the same. (Not posthumous issue.) I think that yours might be RIC 37 or RIC 38 IMP CLAVDIVS AVG/FIDES MILITVM. What do you think (now)?
@> A.N. Apologies. It has been pointed out to me that I was being too 'literal'. Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! But you have to love those Mules. They are so ugly that they are 'Cute and Cuddly'. I want one.
