Extremely Rare Gold Issue for Britannicus

Sale: CNG 76, Lot: 1051. Estimate $10000.  Closing Date: Wednesday, 12 September 2007.  Sold For $21000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

KINGS of BOSPORUS. Cotys I, with Claudius and Britannicus. AD 45/6-68/9. AV Stater (7.91 g, 12h). Dated 346 BE (AD 49/50). Laureate head of Claudius right / Bare-headed and draped bust of Britannicus right; monogram to left; date below. RPC I 1914; MacDonald 316; Anohin 334; Frolova & Ireland 346/2 (dies A-a; this coin) . Good VF, minimal lamination in outer left field of obverse, obverse struck with slightly rusty die. Extremely rare, only three specimens cited by Frolova, this the only one not in a public collection.

The extremely rare gold coins struck by Cotys I for Claudius and Britannicus represent the only gold coins with the portrait of Claudius’ natural son. Approximately 10 specimens are known of these types, dated to three different years (RPC 1912-4; MacDonald 314-6). This coin was struck in the last year prior to Claudius’ adoption of Nero in AD 50.