Interesting late roman bronze from Claudius II Gothicus

Hello everyone,


If you enjoy late roman bronzes, here is something interesting.
At first glance it looks like a regular PAX AETERNA - SPQR from Cyzicus:


CLAUDIUS AE24mm 2.90g billon Antoninian (aVF, weak strike on reverse)

AV: IMP C M AVR CLAVDIVS AVG; radiate draped seen from back bust right, · · · underneath (officina marks)

REV: PAX AETERNA; Pax stg. l., holding olive branch in r. hand and long transverse sceptre in l. hand. (affected by the weak strike)

EXE: S P Q R

REF: RIC V-1 237 Cyzicus mint* 3rd officina, mid – end 269AD.

RIC rates this type as C (common) but all S P Q R types are rather scarce. This one belongs to a later phase, after the mint had moved from Smyrna (where this series originated) to Cyzicus. RIC V Online #940 notes 19 specimens for 3rd officina.

What's interesting about this coin is the style of the engraving, most remarkable on the obverse: very small and thin lettering and an overall elegant, detailed style, reminiscent more of the earlier Smyrna-minted types, which might suggest one of two possibilities:
1. either this coin was actually struck at Smyrna before the relocation (difficult to affirm, since the type is generally attributed to Cyzicus)
2. or the dies were carved by a Smyrna-based celator who had moved to the new location of the mint.

Also interesting features - very wide flan and wide dies, obverse die being a bit wider, which in itself is quite unusual.

 

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Nice pickup ...

my only example is probably my most humble example (*but he's mine*)






=> you go Gothicus ... you go

 

The tiny lettering on the OP coin is unusual and fascinating.

 

Very interesting coin s77. I'm not certain, but I don't think I've seen a coin with such small lettering. Hmmm, now I need to look at my CII holdings.

Edited Note: Nope. None in my collection.

 

I fail to understand the differences that separate coins made in one place from those made in another if a mint is moved with staff at least partly intact. Do you know on what evidence this change is made. Searching RIC Online gives 122 hits for SPQR in exergue with some Smyrna and some Cyzicus. What is the feature that allows separation? Is there literary evidence that there was a move?

 

My favorite Claudius II:

Claudius Gothicus, Roman Empire
AE Antoninianus
Obv: IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right
Rev: VICTORIAE GOTHIC, two bound captives seated at base of trophy
Mint: Cyzicus (struck 268-270 AD)
Ref: RIC 252

 

My understanding is that the difference is one of style and chronology. Smyrna is S. Estiot's localization of the so-called Asia mint of the late Gallienus SPQR antoniniani, a series that was carried over to Claudius and then, sometime in early 269 was moved to Cyzicus.
As far as I can tell, SPQR under Gothicus can be split into 3 distinct phases:

1. Smyrna, end of 268 - early 269
2. Cyzicus I, similar style, Smyrna celators most likely, this looks like a transition period with different reverse types, mid-end 269
3. Cyzicus II, a different generation of celators, with a distinct style in both lettering and portrait end 269 - 270.

Here are 3 coins to exemplify the classification:

 

Hi, yours is minted in Cyzicus, mid – September 270, most likely http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/977 RIC Temp #977.
Very nice coin.

 

cool seth, what a delicate little legend...and neat coin.

i have a couple of poor claudius ii coins that i never took pics of...no one is missing anything believe me.

any reason why sometimes the crown on these radiate crown coins seems WAY to large for the head?

 

Now that's a good question Chris, one I would like to know the answer to as well.

 

I think that it is probably an artistic license of the die cutter

 

Seth77, can you tell us which of Estiot's articles mentions the Smyrna attribution? I went to the ANS site on numismatic literature and could not tell.

 

Sorry, I think I might have misspoken, as I did not read all of madame Estiot's articles. I noticed however that she willingly accepts Jerome Mairat's theory of a Smyrna-Cyzicus relocation, as they both endorse the RIC Temp website which abides by this classification.
This is Mairat's article that surmises this theory: http://www.persee.fr/web/revues/home/prescript/article/numi_0484-8942_2007_num_6_163_2828

 

Here's some more interesting correspondence:

First coin is Gallienus (which Goebl assigns to Cyzicus, problematic because during Gallienus - and even the beginning of Gothicus's reign Cyzicus was still minting Greek colonial coinage; image via http://www258.pair.com/denarius/cgi-bin/plainer.pl?file=a), the second one is the same type but for Claudius II, dated sept-oct. 268 (http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/805)



Also, an interesting unrecorded type for Gallienus that sold last week for 400EUR, this time with SALVS AVG reverse:

 

I have a coin of Claudius II head left, with reverse figuring Diana and Apollo. Then I found a similar one on Wildwinds listed RIC 219- Sear 5-11369 as an Antoninianus of bronze weighing 4.43 g. But mine weighs only 2.93 g. Furthermore I can read Caudius and not Claudius on the obverse! Please try to comment whatsoever.

 

Hi, 7Calbrey, your coin is RIC 219, obv legend is actually IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG.
You can find it here: http://www.ric.mom.fr/en/coin/1088

 

Thank you S77. Do you think the sixth letter on the obverse from left to right is an L or a C? IMPCC? Then is the weight of the coin normal. Appreciate your concern.

 

Yes, the obv legend can be understood as IMP(erator) C(aesar) CLAVDIVS AVG(vstvs). On your coin the L looks like a C because of the deposits.
As for the weight, by this time there was little to no quality control over these issues, normal effects of hyperinflation and full blown debasement.

 

I understand well.

 

Does anyone know of other radiates where the crown is way too big for the head? Is this a one-off fluke?