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Prutah - Claudius I Marcus Antonius Felix as Procurator, Caesarea
| Issuer | Judea |
|---|---|
| Year | 54 |
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| Composition | Log in to see details |
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| Diameter | 16.5 mm |
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| Reverse description | A six-branched palm tree bearing two pendant clusters of dates, rendered frontally with branches splaying symmetrically to either side of the trunk. The Greek legend ΒΡΙΤ LΙΔ ΚΑΙ surrounds the type, referencing Britannicus, younger son of Claudius, and the regnal year 14 of Caesar (54 AD). The palm tree is a characteristic symbol of Judaea employed on procuratorial coinage throughout the first century. The overall style is crude and provincial, consistent with the hammered bronze prutot struck under Felix. |
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| Reverse lettering | ΒΡΙΤ LΙΔ ΚΑΙ (Translation: Brit[annicus]-younger son of Claudius year 14 of Caesar) |
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| Additional information |
Felix was appointed procurator of Judaea by Claudius around 52 AD — an extraordinary elevation for a freedman, the brother of Nero's influential secretary Pallas. Tacitus wrote that Felix "practiced every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding the power of a king with all the instincts of a slave." This coin was struck in the final months of Claudius's reign, before Nero's accession in October 54 changed the political calculus in Rome but left Felix, protected by his brother's standing, in place until roughly 59 AD.
The issue was struck at Caesarea Maritima, the Roman administrative capital of the province.