Aureus - Claudius S P Q R PP OB CS

Issued in 51–52 AD, this aureus falls within a period when Claudius was consolidating favor after the politically damaging influence of his freedmen secretariat and the scandals surrounding Messalina. The reverse legend — invoking the Senate, People, and his designation as Father of the Fatherland alongside the OB CS formula acknowledging him as protector of citizens — was a calculated reassertion of constitutional legitimacy. Claudius used such titles aggressively in coinage, more so than most of his predecessors.

RIC I #63 is documented from a limited die pool, and surviving examples are correspondingly scarce.