Watch List notes:

The Roman Empire
Claudius, 41 – 54

Denarius 41-42, AR 3.71 g. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG GERM P M TR P Laureate head r. Rev. CONSTANTIAE – AVGVSTI Constantia seated l. on curule chair, r. hand raised and feet on stool. C 16. BMC 13. RIC 14. CBN 29.
Very rare and in exceptional state of preservation for the issue. A magnificent
portrait of superb style struck in high relief and a spectacular iridescent
tone. Virtually as struck and Fdc

Ex Tkalec sale 29 February 2000, 238.

Without a doubt the toughest of the twelve Caesars in silver and this piece is really special. Really an outstanding coin! MSG.

By the time the emperor Claudius came to the throne after the murder of his depraved nephew Caligula, he been properly schooled in how terribly people can treat one another. Indeed, it was his enduring, impotent position in the eye of the Julio- Claudian storm that made him the central character in Robert Graves' classic work of historical fiction, I, Claudius. As a child he could not benefit from his father, who died before he reached his first year, and he apparently suffered a lack of love from his mother, the otherwise admirable Antonia, who, according to Suetonius (Claudius 3) described him as "a monster: a man whom nature had not finished but had merely begun". In the bigger picture, Claudius' physical disabilities served him well, for he survived the treacherous reigns of Tiberius and Caligula (though not unscathed, for he suffered through the aftermath of many deplorable acts). His 13-year reign was entirely unexpected. In one of Tacitus' most memorable and personal passages, he states about Claudius: "The more I think about history, ancient or modern, the more ironical all human affairs seem. In public opinion, expectation, and esteem no one appeared a less likely candidate for the throne than the man for whom destiny was secretly reserving it." For most Romans, Claudius' reign was a pleasant departure from the more oppressive reigns of Tiberius and Caligula, both of whom were generally disliked. Claudius seems to have been popular with the people and often with the army, but he usually was at odds with the senate, from whom he demanded hard work and dedication.

The use of Constantia on the reverse of this denarius likely represents her virtue of courage. Certainly given his upbringing no one could claim more courage than Claudius. This type also appears in some quantity on aurei and may be more common in that metal than in silver. There was finally a rather large minting of Constantia types in bronze. This type would be used for the entire reign and was clearly an important symbol of the life of Claudius.