Claudius II Antoninianus, RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157

Monetary Context and Third-Century Debasement

The antoninianus designated as RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 belongs to one of the most volatile phases of the third-century monetary crisis. Originally introduced in AD 215 under Caracalla as a tariffed double denarius containing roughly one and a half times the silver of the standard denarius, the radiate denomination suffered progressive degradation over subsequent decades. By the sole reign of Gallienus between AD 260 and AD 268, the denomination had reached near-total debasement, with silver content falling to roughly two to four percent of total alloy weight. Upon the accession of Marcus Aurelius Claudius in autumn AD 268, the imperial administration faced severe logistical strain, requiring enormous volumes of coin to secure the allegiance of troops along the Danubian and Italian frontiers while continuing military campaigns against Gothic invaders and the secessionist Gallic Empire. Although traditional numismatic references, including early volumes of The Roman Imperial Coinage, classify the antoninianus under silver, the metal alloy of RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 is functionally billon or silver-enriched bronze. Mints achieved a transient appearance of higher purity by treating the newly cast planchets with an acid pickling process, dissolving surface copper to leave a delicate, highly enriched silver coating. This surface wash quickly degraded through routine hand-to-hand transactions, revealing the underlying base copper alloy beneath.

Production and the Mediolanum Mint

The manufacture of RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 is securely assigned to the imperial mint of Mediolanum, modern Milan. During the later reign of Gallienus, Mediolanum superseded Rome in operational urgency for the northern campaigns, hosting an active equestrian cavalry command under Aureolus and housing specialized mint workshops. Following the assassination of Gallienus outside Mediolanum and the rapid submission of Aureolus's garrison, Claudius II assumed control of the facility and maintained vigorous strike rates to satisfy immediate military obligations. Production at Mediolanum was structured into multiple organized workshops, traditionally denoted as officinae, which frequently indicated their output through exergual letters or field marks such as P, S, or T, corresponding to prima, secunda, and tertia. While certain varieties of Mediolanum antoniniani bear explicit workshop signs, some dies assigned to this Pax type were executed without explicit marks in the field or exergue. The mint fabric at Mediolanum under Claudius II is characterized by relatively round, compact flans compared to the frequently irregular, jagged output of the primary mint at Rome. Engravers at Mediolanum executed imperial portraiture with sharp, disciplined features, demonstrating a distinct stylistic tradition marked by precise rendering of radiate crown spikes and neat, compact lettering.

Obverse Iconography and Imperial Representation

The obverse of RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 presents a right-facing portrait of Claudius II Gothicus. The emperor is depicted wearing the solar radiate crown, the signature visual indicator of the double-denarius denomination since its third-century inception. The imperial bust is dressed in drapery visible around the neck and shoulder, a variant distinguished from the purely cuirassed or bare-necked portrait variants occasionally found across broader contemporary series. Engravers at Mediolanum captured the emperor's mature likeness through a prominent jawline, a trimmed military beard, and a straight, broad nose, projecting an image of stern military competence suited to a soldier-emperor. The radiate crown is typically rendered with prominent, pointed rays extending outward through the upper circumference of the design, occasionally interrupting the legend. This iconographical program consciously evoked both the divine favor of Sol Invictus and the unyielding vigilance expected of a frontier commander defending northern Italy against Germanic incursions. The physical execution reflects the pressure of wartime mass production, yet die cutters at Mediolanum maintained a high degree of anatomical clarity relative to the more degraded stylistic conventions observed at Rome during the same triennium.

Reverse Design and the Personification of Pax

The reverse of RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 is dedicated to Pax, the divine personification of peace and concord. She is represented as a draped female figure advancing toward the left in an active, dynamic posture. In her extended right hand, Pax raises an olive branch, the universal classical symbol of offered peace, reconciliation, and divine benevolence. In her left arm, she cradles a long sceptre, held diagonally or vertically, symbolizing imperial majesty and the lawful order restored under rightful Roman governance. This advancing posture, often described numismatically as Pax walking or running left, stands in contrast to the static, standing varieties of Pax commonly struck at the mint of Rome. The energetic movement of the deity carries ideological resonance: peace in the context of Claudius II's reign was not presented as passive contemplation, but rather as an active condition achieved through decisive military victory over foreign foes and internal rivals. By invoking Pax on coins originating from the pivotal fortress city of Mediolanum, the imperial regime underscored the suppression of the revolt of Aureolus and signaled the impending pacification of the northwestern provinces.

Epigraphy and Legend Structure

The epigraphic structure of RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 follows traditional imperial titic conventions while reflecting the streamlined formula characteristic of mid-third-century issues. The obverse legend reads IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG, an abbreviated Latin inscription expanding to Imperator Claudius Pius Felix Augustus. The title Imperator asserts his position as supreme military commander, while the honorific pair Pius Felix emphasizes his personal devotion to the gods, his duty to the state, and his innate imperial good fortune. The terminal title Augustus formalizes his constitutional rank as supreme ruler of the Roman Empire. The lettering at Mediolanum is typically neat, narrow, and upright, cut with crisp serifs that distinguish northern Italian dies from the coarser script styles seen at Siscia or Rome. On the reverse, the concise inscription PAX AVG abbreviates Pax Augusti, meaning the Peace of the Emperor. This legend explicitly attributes the restoration of domestic order and external security to the emperor's personal virtue, framing peace not merely as an abstract divine gift, but as the direct outcome of Claudius's military leadership.

Typology and Chronological Placement

Within the typology established by Percy H. Webb in The Roman Imperial Coinage, volume five, part one, number 157 designates the specific antoninianus variety combining the draped radiate bust right with the reverse showing Pax advancing left holding an olive branch and sceptre, produced at Mediolanum. The chronological span for this issue is bounded by Claudius's elevation in late summer or autumn of AD 268 and his death from plague at Sirmium in the late summer of AD 270. Because Mediolanum had served as the headquarters of the rebel general Aureolus immediately prior to Claudius's accession, the striking of the Pax type formed an urgent initial program aimed at reconciling northern Italian forces to the new regime. Subsequent issues at Mediolanum increasingly incorporated more diversified martial types, such as Virtus and Victoria, alongside specific workshop markers in the exergue. The relative brevity of Claudius's reign limits the duration of the issue to approximately two years, representing a concise typological bridge between the chaotic late emissions of Gallienus and the subsequent monetary consolidation initiated under Aurelian in AD 270.

Circulation, Hoard Evidence, and Post-Reign Survival

Antoniniani of the RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157 type entered extensive circulation across the central and western territories of the Roman Empire. Heavy concentrations of Mediolanum radiates appear in major coin hoards discovered throughout northern Italy, Gaul, the Rhine frontier, and Roman Britain, including notable deposits such as the Cunetio and Normanby hoards. Because the intrinsic silver content of radiates struck under Claudius II hovered between two and three percent, these pieces circulated rapidly alongside the heavily debased billon radiates of Gallienus, Quintillus, and the contemporary rulers of the Gallic Empire. Gresham's law dictated that older, higher-purity silver denarii and early antoniniani were hoarded and melted down, leaving low-fineness radiates to dominate daily market exchanges. Following Claudius's death in AD 270, his coins remained in active circulation for several years, forming a prominent component of civilian savings during the chaotic interval prior to the major reform of Aurelian in AD 274. Even after Aurelian introduced the reformed radiate marked XXI, un-reformed billon antoniniani of Claudius continued to circulate in marginal frontier areas, frequently surviving until the extensive currency demonetizations of the Diocletianic tetrarchy.

References

1. The Coinage of the Roman Empire in the Third Century AD. pp. 139-160
2. Monnaies de l'Empire romain XII.1: D'Aurelien a Florien (270-276 apres J.-C.). pp. 25-48
3. Online Coins of the Roman Empire: RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157. RIC V Claudius Gothicus 157
4. The Roman Imperial Coinage, Volume V, Part I. p. 224, no. 157