Not a coin I had on my radar, but I picked this Alexandrian Tet of Claudius I since it attracted no other bidders. Was a bit less than $40 total and the black adhesions are a bit tough to get off & had some minor bronze disease. It was worse before lemon juice bath. Claudius (41 - 54 A.D.) Egypt, Alexandria Billon Tetradrachm O: TI KLAUDI KAIS SEBA GERMANI AUTOKR, Laureate head right; L Δ (date) below chin R: MESSALI-NA KAIS SEBAS Messalina standing facing, head left, leaning on short column, holding two children in outstretched right hand, grain ears with left. RY 4 ( 43/44 A.D.) 12.37g 23mm Köln 81; Dattari (Savio) 125; K&G 12.35; RPC I 5145; Emmett 74.4. My other Alexandria Tet of Claudius I Claudius (41 - 54 A.D.) AR Tetradrachm EGYPT, Alexandria O: TI KLA[UDI KAIS SEBA GERMANI AUTOKR], laureate head of Claudius right; LB to right. R: ANTWNIA SEBASTH, draped bust of Antonia right, wearing hair in long plait. Dated RY 2 (41/2 AD) 23mm 11.62g Dattari 114; Milne 61-64; Emmett 73.
Super coins @Mat with a nice silvery appearance. Great stuff! My only tet of the 12 Caesars is this Titus.
I wish I could like your post more than once. Both tets are fantastic, and the $40 was a darn good price to pay.
Not often you see or get a Claudius I silver of any coin at that price point, even with some of it's flaws.
I have one, too, but less well-centered and with incomplete legends. I bought it a long time ago in the pre-internet auction days. Claudius and Messalina. Billon Tetradrachm, 10.32 gm; 24.0 mm. Alexandria, AD 45/46. Obv: ΤΙ ΚΛΑΥΔΙ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑ ΓΕΡΜΑΝΙ ΑΥΤΟΚΡ, laureate head of Claudius, r.; LϚ (year 6) before. Rev: ΜΕΣΣΑΛΙΝΑ ΚΑΙΣ ΣΕΒΑΣ, Messalina standing l., holding children and ears of corn. Refs: RCV 1869; SGI 495; RPC 5164; BMCG 75; SNG Cologne 88; Milne 106; Emmett 74.
That’s a real winner there @Mat! That is a steal at $40. I don’t think it looks so bad at all. I can kind of see the black stuff in the devices but to me it just looks “normal” for a lot of tets. Nice pickup
