Art Institute of Chicago

Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Claudius II Gothicus

Roman; minted in Alexandria, Egypt

Date

268-269

Medium

Billon

Culture

Egypt

Department

Arts of Greece, Rome, and Byzantium

Institution

Art Institute of Chicago

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the bust of emperor Claudius II Gothicus. The back (reverse) depicts a bust of the god Hermanubis facing right, wearing a modius (headdress), with a winged caduceus, palm atop. The date this coin was struck is indicated in the reverse inscription " LB", which means the second year of Claudius's reign, or 268-269 CE. Claudius II Gothicus reigned from 268-270. One interesting feature of this particular coin is that the back side appears to have been struck more than once, a manufacturing error that is also referred to as a double exposure. This occurs when the coin has duplicate images from being struck again, off center.

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