Claudius AE Quadrans (Modius, RIC I 90)

CLAUDIUS, AD 41-54
AE Quadrans (18.53mm, 3.00g, 7h)
Struck AD 42. Rome mint
Obverse: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG around modius
Reverse: PON M TR P IMP P P COS II around large S C
References: RIC I 90; RCV 1865; ERIC II 128

Warm brown patina. A choice specimen, with a crisp strike, near-perfect centering, and very little wear. Quadrantes were the Roman pocket change, worth 1/64 of a denarius, and might have been used to purchase a snack, or gain entry to the public baths. Given their low value, these coins tended not only to circulate heavily, but also rarely appear in hoards, making high-quality specimens like this one quite unusual.

Collezione : Roman Imperial - the Julio-Claudians