Claudius, 41-54. As (Copper, 26 mm, 9.74 g, 7 h), Rome or an uncertain provincial mint (in Thrace?), 50-54. TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP Bare head of Claudius to left. Rev. LIBERTAS AVGVSTA / S - C Libertas, draped, standing front, head to right, raising her right hand and extending her left. BMC 145 var. (Libertas holding pileus). Cohen 47 var. (Libertas holding pileus). RIC 97 var. (Libertas holding pileus). A magnificent piece with a beautiful portrait and a splendid brown patina. Minor flan fault on the obverse edge and with very light roughness on the reverse, otherwise, extremely fine.


An interesting minor detail about this beautiful Claudian bronze is that Libertas is not holding a pileus in her right hand, as is normally the case, but just raising her hand in the air. Since the pileus, a traditional felt cap that was placed by a praetor on the shaved head of any freed slave, was the defining attribute of Libertas, the omission of such a crucial detail must be an error on behalf of the artist rather than an intended variety. Perhaps the coin was issued in a provincial mint, with the most likely candidate being the one in Thrace.