Description
Claudius (AD 41-54).
Silver Cistophorus, mint of Ephesus.
Obverse: TI CLAVD CAES AVG, bare head of Claudius facing left.
Reverse: DIAN – EPHI, statue of Diana within tetrastyle temple.
(RIC 118; BMC 229; RPC 2222)
Very Fine or better.
10.90g.
Ex. St. Mary’s College Collection.
Imperial silver coins of Claudius are notoriously difficult to obtain. For reasons which aren’t completely clear, despite a lengthy reign of over a decade, Claudius’ silver denarii are scarce today. This silver cistophorus, struck in Ephesus, features an argumentally more accomplished portrait of the 1st Century ruler than on denarii struck in Rome and Lugdunum. This, combined with the impressive size (almost three times the size of a denarius) of the cistophorus, presents a superb and affordable silver piece for this popular emperor.
