LOT #34045 |
Current Bid: $3,200
Roman Imperial: Claudius I (AD 41-54). AV aureus (18mm, 7.73 gm, 4h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 2/5, edge filing, brushed.
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Description
Claudius I (AD 41-54). AV aureus (18mm, 7.73 gm, 4h). NGC Choice XF 5/5 - 2/5, edge filing, brushed. Rome, AD 46-47. TI CLAVD CAESAR•AVG•P•M•TR•P•VI•IMP•XI, laureate head of Claudius I right / S•P•Q•R• / P P / OB•CS, legend in three lines within oak wreath (Corona Civica). Calicó 379. RIC I 40.Ex Historical Scholar Collection (Heritage Auctions, Auction 3101, 25 August 2022), lot 32109.
Son of the great general Drusus, and Antonia, niece of the emperor Augustus, Tiberius Claudius Drusus seemed well-positioned when he was born in 10 BC. But a serious childhood illness left him with a limp, a stammer, and other qualities that made him the black sheep of the family. While these problems barred him from a political career, such exclusion also granted him immunity from the family's murderous intrigues. Upon Caligula's assassination in January, AD 41, Claudius was the sole surviving Julio-Claudian male and, when members of the Praetorian Guard found him cowering behind a curtain in the palace, they immediately acclaimed him as Emperor. Claudius astutely awarded the Praetorians a substantial bonus, and with 10,000 heavily armed soldiers backing him, he easily forced the Senate to accept him as the next princeps. Once installed, Claudius surprised everyone by ruling with intelligence and moderation. In AD 43, he ordered the invasion and annexation of Britain, the first major addition of territory to the Empire since the days of Augustus.
He exercised discernment in his selection of provincial governors and exhibited adept diplomacy in handling foreign relations. However, his notable shortcomings lay in his excessive attention to minutiae, dependence on freedmen and close associates, and his questionable choices in romantic partners. His third wife, Messalina, known for her promiscuity, wielded significant influence as Empress and became embroiled in a scandalous conspiracy in AD 48, which posed a threat to his rule. Subsequently, his next wife, Agrippina the Younger, skillfully utilized her influence to consolidate her own power and advance the position of her son, Nero, from a previous marriage, within the succession plans. This done, she fed Claudius a dish of poisoned mushrooms in October AD 54 and brought his 13-year reign to an end. Despite many missteps and his unsavory demise, Claudius had been a fairly successful ruler and his regime set a pattern for the Flavians and the reigns that followed.
Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000.
Auction Info
2026 January 12 NYINC World & Ancient Coins Platinum Session and Signature® Auction - New York #3129 (go to Auction Home page)
Proxy Bidding Ends
January
12th
Monday
5:50 pm CT
Auction Dates
January
12th
Monday
Proxy Bidding Time Remaining
12 Days
18h 16m 52s
Bids + Registered Phone Bidders: 7
Lot Tracking Activity: 27
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This lot is in: 5 -
Signature® Floor Session - Platinum Session (Live Floor, Live Phone, Mail, Fax, Internet, and Heritage Live):
(Lots 34001-34318) - 6:00 PM Central Time, Monday, January 12, 2026 (7:00 PM Eastern Time).
[Proxy bidding ends ten minutes prior to the session start time. Live Proxy bidding on Heritage Live now starts within 2 hours of when the auction opens for proxy bidding and continues through the live session.]
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InterContinental New York Barclay
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New York, NY 10017
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