Claudius: Paying Some Attention To The Man Behind The Curtain

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Author	Replies: 5 / Views: 957
circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 02/11/2022 10:28 am It took me a great while to find a coin of Claudius that depicted the man in a realistic way. Most of this Emperor's portraits are, well, quite awful. Some are truly comical. Caricatures of the complex character he was. After many hours, and thousands of coins, I finally laid eyes on this very nice specimen. A larger coin (an As), with a superior portrait style. The artist's interpretation is splendid! It was the subtle hollow of the cheek that set it apart from other examples. I must admit, the search was a bit frustrating. Claudius ruled for fourteen years. His coinage is certainly plentiful. Yet the prices for decent specimens is quite high. I am at a loss to understand why! Report this Post to the Staff

circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 02/13/2022 4:20 pm It has been kindly pointed out to me that perhaps I should include an image of the reverse. Here depicting Constantia, the personification of consistency. A symbol that seems to be peculiar to the coins of Claudius. Report this Post to the Staff
bennycunha97 Valued Member Portugal 51 Posts	Posted 02/14/2022 06:18 am I will admit I know next to nothing about these kinds of coins. That being said the portrait is indeed quite nice, it looks way more realistic than the few I saw myself. I have no idea how hard it was to find since I'm so out of it, but I get very happy seeing how joyful you are about it. That's what collecting is all about and I love seeing other people enjoying it as much as I do! So in all, congrats for the coin! Benny Report this Post to the Staff
circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 02/14/2022 11:51 am Thank you so much, Benny, for the kind reply. I am pleased to know that my enthusiasm for this "hobby" is evident in the tone of my words. As an artist, I cannot help but marvel at the craftsmanship of the skilled, ancient hands that were so instrumental in the creation of these coins. As an admirer of history, I am thrilled to touch the ancient past through a shared stewardship with so many sets of hands. Stretching back through the centuries! Report this Post to the Staff
circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 02/21/2022 11:19 am Any other Community Members out there with Claudian coinage in their collections? This emperor is depicted in so many different ways, and his portraits are often quite unflattering. Makes one wonder how much control the Emperor exercised over his own image. I mean, I understand the use of coinage as a simple propaganda tool, and the fact that many coins where minted in far off provinces...but geez...poor Claudius! Report this Post to the Staff
circusmax120 Valued Member United States 319 Posts	Posted 03/05/2022 1:22 pm Here is a good example of the high degree of exaggeration seen on some of the coins of Claudius. Even this portrait, in my opinion, isn't the worst depiction you're likely to see on his coinage. I realize the impossible task of controlling every minute aspect of the minting process, in every far-flung mint of a massive empire...but...wow. Some depictions seem...deliberately designed to be unflattering at best. Given my narrow preferences for portraiture, Claudius was a tough one for me to acquire. Edited by circusmax120 03/05/2022 8:22 pm Report this Post to the Staff
	Replies: 5 / Views: 957

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