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Denarius - Claudius S P Q R PP OB CS
| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 49-50 |
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| Shape | Round (irregular) |
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| Obverse description | Bare head of Emperor Claudius facing right, rendered in naturalistic portrait style with finely detailed hair swept forward across the brow in short layered locks characteristic of Julio-Claudian portraiture. The bust is draped, with the paludamentum visible at the truncation. A circular Latin legend runs along the outer border, reading TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P VIIII IMP XVI, recording his imperial titulature including his ninth tribunician power and sixteenth imperatorial acclamation. The field surrounding the portrait shows the broad, open treatment typical of Rome Mint issues of the Claudian period. |
|---|---|
| Obverse script | Latin |
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| Additional information |
The OB CIVES SERVATOS reverse type — celebrating the emperor as savior of citizens — was revived by Claudius as deliberate Augustan nostalgia, linking his reign to the first emperor's constitutional gestures. Claudius had particular reason to lean on such imagery: his accession in 41 AD was irregular, effectively engineered by the Praetorian Guard after Caligula's murder, and legitimacy remained a persistent concern throughout his reign. This issue dates to a period when Claudius was consolidating authority following the revolt of Camillus Scribonianus and the controversial execution of Messalina in 48 AD.