Pre-Long Beach Auction #80

Claudius. Silver Denarius (3.8 g), AD 41-54. Rome, AD 51/2. TI CLAVD CAESAR AVG P M TR P XI IMP P P COS V, laureate head of Claudius right. Reverse PACI AVGVSTAE, Nemesis advancing right, pulling fold of her robe below neck, holding winged caduceus downwards with which she points at serpent before her. RIC 62; BMC 69; RSC 68. Perfectly centered on both sides with full legends. Extremely attractive with lovely iridescent toning. Extremely Fine.

The goddess Nemesis represented divine retribution and just fortune, and according to the poet Mesomedes was the daughter of Justitia. She was often invoked before a military campaign where it was customary to offer a sword in her honor. Her appearance on imperial coins is uncommon, mainly occurring under Claudius and Hadrian. She is normally but not always depicted winged, as here, and often pulls a fold of drapery from her neck so that she can spit into her bosom (Meleager Anthologia Graeca XII.229).
Estimated Value $7,000 - 8,000.
Ex C. K. Collection (Triton XIV, 3 January 2011), 648; Leu 86 (5 May 2003), 765.