Sale: Nomos 6, Lot: 136. Estimate CHF38000.  Closing Date: Monday, 7 May 2012.  Sold For CHF56000. This amount does not include the buyer’s fee.

Divus Claudius. Died AD 54. Aureus (Gold, 7.80 g 6), October-December 54. DIVVS CLAVDIVS AVGVSTVS Laureate head of Claudius to left. Rev. Ornamental quadriga moving slowly to right, its sides decorated with figures of Victory and the emperor; above, miniature quadriga between two Victories; below, in exergue, EX S C. BMC (Nero) 4. Calicó 354a. Cohen 31. RIC (Nero) 4. A splendid, superb piece, sharply struck and beautifully detailed. Virtually as struck.

From the “Stack and Croesus” Collections, Stack’s 14 January 2008, 2357.

This coin was struck very soon after Claudius died, probably poisoned by his ambitious wife Agrippina II, Caligula’s sister. The portrait on this coin shows him with the fully recognizable Julio-Claudian features of his family, and is particularly fine.