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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;TIF, post: 3005437, member: 56859&quot;][USER=73995]@Pickin and Grinin[/USER], I see why you were smitten with this coin-- it&#039;s fabulous!&nbsp; Finding artistic, well-struck, and relatively well-preserved bronzes of Claudius is a hard task!&nbsp; Good eye <img src="styles/default/xenforo/clear.png" class="mceSmilieSprite mceSmilie1" alt=":)" unselectable="on" unselectable="on" /></p><p><br /></p><p>[USER=13719]@randygeki[/USER], [USER=84744]@Severus Alexander[/USER], and others also trotted out some very nice examples.</p><p><br /></p><p>[USER=19463]@dougsmit[/USER] brought up some good food for though, as usual.</p><p><br /></p><p>On the OP coin and a few others (like the one shown by Sevvy), the die engraver did a great job of conveying the diaphanous nature of Constantia&#039;s attire.&nbsp; To be honest, I never even noticed that this was not Minerva and when I went to read more about this &quot;Constantia&quot;, there wasn&#039;t much out there (most hits referring to the wife of Licinius I/half-sister of Constantine I).&nbsp; From a <a href="http://romanumismatics.com/articles/article/roman-empire-claudius-constantias-significance-to-claudius/" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://romanumismatics.com/articles/article/roman-empire-claudius-constantias-significance-to-claudius/" rel="nofollow">Roma Numismatics listing</a> of a Claudius aureus with Constantia seated:</p><p><br /></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">&quot;The unusual personification on the reverse of this coin has a special reference to Claudius. Constantia represents courage or perserverance in civil life, the quality that had enabled Claudius to bear the trials of his early years; he was ostracised by his family because he was afflicted with a limp, a stammer, and slight deafness. Suetonius writes that his mother, Antonia, described him as “portentum hominis” (“monster of men”). Despite such disdain from his kin, Claudius was popular with the Roman people, and enjoyed a reign of thirteen years; far longer than his contemporaries seem to have expected.</span></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff"><br /></span></p><p><span style="color: #0000ff">Dio Cassius also reports that in AD 47, Asinius Gallus conspired against Claudius and was banished, rather than executed (LX . 27). The reverse type may be alluding to the strength of Claudius’ resolve in the face of this betrayal.&quot;</span></p><p><br /></p><p>[USER=44316]@Valentinian[/USER], it looks like this Claudius/Constantia standing is an appropriate addition to your &quot;<a href="http://augustuscoins.com/ed/unique/unique.html" target="_blank" class="externalLink ProxyLink" data-proxy-href="http://augustuscoins.com/ed/unique/unique.html" rel="nofollow">Ancient Roman coin reverse types that are unique to a particular emperor</a>&quot; page.&nbsp; Constantia also appears seated on some denarii and aurei of Claudius and of Antonia Minor.[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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