How Scarce are Claudius II DIVO Mules?

Hi all!

I was going through my Claudius II antoniniani, and taking better photos of coins, and got to my small group of Claudius II Gothicus antoniniani which have a posthumous obverse (DIVO CLAVDIO) and a lifetime reverse. I always thought they were pretty common, and have got 12 with a variety of reverses (they turn up infrequently in metal detecting/group lots on eBay in the UK, and when I see one, I buy it). Some of them are of better style than others

However, I was looking on acsearch to see if there are any I could add to my collection, and only found one DIVO CLAVDIO mule. Are they scarcer than I imagined, or are they just too cheap and common to be sold at auction?

Obligatory photos of some my coins

LAETITIA AVG


PAX AVGVSTI


FELICITAS AVG


LIBERAL AVG (?)


SECVRIT AVG

 

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I hope this will answer your question :

 

I guess once in awhile the celators fell asleep at the switch. Another possible explanation would be worn altar/eagle reverse dies so the mint substituted something with less wear.

 

Some associate these mules with the Moneyers' Revolt during the reign of Aurelian. Another possible explanation is that they are contemporary imitations along the line of the 'barbarous radiates'.