RIC V Claudius Gothicus 168

Title

RIC V Claudius Gothicus 168

Date

268-270 AD

Description

An Antoninianus of the Emperor

Publisher

Bethel University

Contributor

Lizzie Johnson

Coverage

POINT(1022810.16043567 5694826.66795594)
214-270 AD

Relation

Render unto Caesar Roman Coin Project

Type

Coin

Format

Image/jpeg

Mint

Mediolanum (Milan)

Denomination

Antoninianus

Authority

Claudius II Gothicus (268-270 A.D.)

Deity

Spes

Portrait

Claudius Gothicus

Region

Italy

Material

Silver

Obverse Legend

IMP CLAVDIVS PF AVG

Obverse Type

Bust of Claudius Gothicus, Radiate, Draped Right

Reverse Legend

SPES PVBLICA

Reverse Type

Spes, draped, walking left,holding flower in right hand and raising robe with left hand

Obverse Analysis

Officially known as Marcus Aurelius Valerius Claudius. He was born May 10, 214 AD in the region of Dardania-which was a part of the province Illyricum or the Upper Moesia. He was of a barbarian birth and was the first in a series of tough soldier-emperors who would help restore the Empire from the crisis of the third century. He served as an army officer most of his life, making his way up the military hierarchy. He was then, under the emperor Gallienus, became the commander of Gallienus’ newly formed elite cavalry. In the Summer of 268 there was a plot to kill Gallienus-a man by the name of Aureolus. After Gallienus’ death Claudius was chosen to succeed him. The new rulers he quickly suppressed the rebellion of the traitor and drove out all his men form Italy.
In 269 AD, Claudius sought to rid the Balkans of the Gothics, at this time he also served as consul. The Battle of Naissus was the defeat of the Gothic force near Naissus. He drove out the great army and together with his cavalry commander Aurelian, they took thousands of prisoners and destroyed its cavalry. In addition to the bad weather and lack of supplies there was a plague which played a major role in defeating the Goths. He won one of the greatest battles in Roman histories and assumed the name “Gothicus” conqueror of the Goths. However, his victory was short, he himself caught the plague of Cyprian (possibly smallpox) and died in early 270.

This coin was minted in Mediolanum(Milan), in the Antoninianus denomination. The name Antoninianus comes from the Emperor Caracalla-M. Aurelius’ Antoninus Caracalla (A.D 211-217), who first introduced it. This coin has a copper base and probably had a light silver wash. Late Antoninianus coins had a lights silver wash, this one’s silver has faded. However, occasionally it is still possible to find some of the late coins with the silver still present.
Obverse: This side has the Bust of Claudius Gothicus with a radiate (Solar or Sun) crown facing right. He is also draped in some sort of clothing seen at the bottom. Around the edge of the coin possibly reads IMP CLAVDIVS AVG- Imperator or Emperor Claudius Augustus. AVG-Augustus and became a title for all successive emperors after that.

Reverse Analysis

Reverse: This side has the deity SPES who represented hope. A woman a flower in her right ad and raising her robe with the other hand walking to the right which is depicted as more subtle and graceful. On this coin, she is more “gangly looking like the adolescent she was supposed to be” (Bill welch). This image of SPES shows her hand drawn too big, oversized. This was to make it look that the grip was a delicate one, as to not crush the flowers of hope. On the edge of this side reads, SPES PVBLICA- “Hope of the People”.

Mintmark

P

Diameter

2 cm

Weight

2.3 g

Files

Gothicus Head.jpg
Gothicus Back.jpg

Citation

“RIC V Claudius Gothicus 168,” Render Unto Caesar, accessed March 29, 2024, https://renderuntocaesar.betheldigitalscholarship.org/items/show/16.

Output Formats