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Message:: [QUOTE="jamesicus, post: 3201745, member: 14873"]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: <img src="http://jp29.org/000claudprobs.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />BMCRE, Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 120, 41-45AD (38mm, 29.2gm)Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing rightInscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMPCountermarked PROBMattingly note - Cmk in oblong incuse in front of neck and face; end of legend obliteratedReverse depiction: Civic Oak WreathInscription in four lines:EX SCO BC I V E SSERVATOS(within Civic Oak Wreath) Later (PP marked) coins were not so Countermarked and were probably not circulated in Britain:<img src="http://jp29.org/000cl2o.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /><img src="http://jp29.org/000cl2r.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />BMCRE Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 185, 42AD and on (38mm, 29.8gm)Plate 36.Obverse depiction: Claudius, laureate head facing rightInscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PPMattingly note - with PP (Pater Patriae) markingReverse depiction: Civic Oak WreathInscription in four lines:EX SCP POB CIVESSERVATOS(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: <img src="http://jp29.org/000claudcounter1o.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" /><img src="http://jp29.org/000claudcounter1r.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Much worn Dupondius, BMCRE, Vol I, Caligula, No. 93 (RIC, Vol I, No. 57)Reverse: Claudius Countermark TIAV in oblong incuse to left of headMattingly, BMCRE, Vol. I, Caligula, No. 93 & Plate 30 Following is a depiction of the same coin in very fine condition for comparison; <img src="http://jp29.org/0000germ1.jpg" class="bbCodeImage wysiwygImage" alt="" unselectable="on" />Archived photograph with attribution identification card style that I no longer use.(I no longer own this coin)[/QUOTE]

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