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AV Tremissis ND 20mm./ 1.52g. Ispali Mint
Swinthila 621-31AD
Visigothic Gothic Kings of Spain
ex: Kunker Auction 440EUROS

 

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TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP - laureate head of Claudius right, traces of oblong countermark PROB in front of emperor’s neck (according to Sear)
EX S C / OB / CIVES / SERVATOS in four lines within oak-wreath
Sestertius, irregular mint, probably in Gaul (Lugdunum?), 43 aD
34,75 mm / 23,49 gr
RIC 96, note; BMCRE 120; CBN 155 and pl. XXV; cf. Cohen 39; Ernesto Gutierrez Guinea "El Valor de los Sestercios" (this coin)
ex Auction Cayon Subastas July 2016, 06.07.2016, Lot 52 (485 USD incl.fees and postage)



According to David Sear, the style of the engraving on this specimen is not up to the standard of the regular issues from the mint of Rome and it therefore belongs to a large class of imitative coinage possibly struck in Gaul with government sanction in order to provide additional currency during the military build-up prior to the invasion of Britain in AD 43. Although it is only faintly discernible, this specimen seems to have a weakly applied countermark placed before the emperor’s neck on obverse. This may read “PROB” which would indicate that the coin had been approved (probatus) to remain in circulation despite its irregular appearance. This and other countermarks are well known on base metal coins of this period, their purpose being to reauthorize the currency of coins that might otherwise have been deemed unsuitable for circulation due to excessive wear or their unofficial origin.