- For the sestertius issued during the reign of Claudius I (r. 41–54), see Roman 1 sestertius coin (Claudius).
| Sestertius | |
|---|---|
| General information | |
| Country |
Roman Empire |
| Value |
1 sestertius = 4 asses = ¼ denarius = 1⁄100 aureus |
| Years |
c. 268–270 (ND) |
| Measurements and composition | |
| Mass |
c. 12.2 g |
| Diameter |
c. 25 mm |
| Composition |
orichalcum (bronze) |
| Appearance | |
| Shape |
round |
| Obverse | |
| Reverse |
Mars with a branch and spear |
| v · d · e | |
The sestertius coin was produced by the Roman Empire under authorization from the Senate during the brief reign of Emperor Claudius Gothicus (213–270), which lasted from 268 to 270. Such a coin had a value equivalent to 4 asses, which in turn equaled ¼ of a denarius or 1⁄100 of an aureus. The pieces of Claudius succeeded those of Gallienus (218–268) and preceded the sestertii of Aurelian (214 or 215–275). Like all Roman currency, the coins of Claudius were eventually demonetized.
The sestertius of Claudius Gothicus is composed of orichalcum, a bronze alloy, and has a mass of approximately 12.2 grams and a diameter of 25 millimeters. Featured in the center of the obverse is a left-facing, laureate bust of Emperor Claudius Gothicus. This likeness is accompanied by the Latin legend "IMP CLAVDIVS P F AVG", a shortened form of Imperator Claudius Pius Felix Augustus, which translates to English as "Emperor Claudius Augustus, Dutiful and Fortunate". Such a legend commences at the lower left periphery in an upwards direction and continues clockwise along the rim of the coin until reaching the lower right boundary. Mars, the god of war in Roman mythology, is depicted in the middle of the reverse, standing and wearing military dress, and holding a spear in his left hand and an olive branch in his right. Printed along the rim is the legend "MARTI PACIFERO" ("To Mars, the bringer of peace"), starting upward at the bottom left periphery, arching downward at the top of the piece, and concluding at the coin's bottom right rim. The word "PACIFERO" is generally interrupted between the "P" and "A" by Mars' helmet and between the "A" and "C" by the tip of Mars' spear. A beaded border is commonly engraved along the coin's boundary on the obverse and reverse. However, because all Roman coinage was cut and struck by hand, portions of this border, some text, and some illustrations are often not present on sestertii of Claudius Gothicus.
The sestertius of Claudius Gothicus is considered a rare piece, as examples do not commonly show up at auction.
References[]
Template:Claudius Gothicus coins
| Sestertii by Roman Emperor | |
|---|---|
| Augustus (27 BC–14) • Tiberius (14–37) • Caligula (37–41) • Claudius (41–54) • Nero (54–68) • Galba (68) • Vitellius (69) • Vespasian (69–79) • Titus (79–81) • Domitian (81–96) • Nerva (96–98) • Trajan (98–117) • Hadrian (117–138) • Antoninus Pius (138–161) • Marcus Aurelius (161–180) • Lucius Verus (161–169) • Commodus (177–192) • Pertinax (193) • Didius Julianus (193) • Septimius Severus (193–211) • Caracalla (198–217) • Geta (209–211) • Macrinus (217–218) • Elagabalus (218–222) • Alexander Severus (222–235) • Maximinus Thrax (235–238) • Gordian I (238) • Gordian II (238) • Pupienus (238) • Balbinus (238) • Gordian III (238–244) • Philip I (244–249) • Decius (249–251) • Herennius Etruscus (251) • Trebonianus Gallus (251–253) • Hostilian (251) • Volusianus (251–253) • Aemilianus (253) • Valerian I (253–259) • Gallienus (253–268) • Claudius Gothicus (268–270) • Aurelian (270–275) | |