Claudius I (AD 41-54). AV aureus (18mm, 7.55 gm, 5h). NGC VF 4/5 - 2/5, brushed. Rome or Lugdunum, AD 50-54. TI•CLAVD•CAESAR•AVG•GERM•P•M•TRIB•POT•P•P•, laureate head of Claudius I right / AGRIPPINAE-AVGVSTAE, draped bust of Agrippina Junior right, seen from front, hair in long queue and laureate wreathed with grain ears. Calicó 396f. RIC I 80. Clear portraits with deeper tones in the recesses. As emperor, 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. HID09801242017 © 2024 Heritage Auctions | All Rights Reserved

To the auctioneer's website