Didrachm - Claudius DE BRITANNIS

Claudius had no military reputation when he took power in 41 AD — the Praetorian Guard essentially invented his principate on the spot. The invasion of Britain in 43 AD was, in large part, a calculated answer to that problem. A triumph was needed, and Britain provided it. This didrachm, struck at Caesarea in Cappadocia, commemorates that campaign with the DE BRITANNIS inscription — one of several issue types Claudius deployed to broadcast the conquest across the eastern provinces.

Caesarea's output for Claudius is comparatively limited, and RPC I#3625 pieces show considerable variation in die alignment across surviving examples.