Skip to Content
Closed today, next open Thursday. Closed today, next open Thursday.

  • Mon 11–5
  • Tue–Wed Closed
  • Thu 11–8
  • Fri–Sun 11–5
  • The first hour of every day, 10–11 a.m., is reserved for member-only viewing.

Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Claudius II Gothicus

A work made of billon.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

Image actions

  • A work made of billon.

Date:

268-269

Artist:

Roman; minted in Alexandria, Egypt

About this artwork

The front (obverse) of this coin portrays the bust of emperor Claudius II Gothicus. The back (reverse) depicts a bust of the god Hermanubis facing right, wearing a modius (headdress), with a winged caduceus, palm atop. The date this coin was struck is indicated in the reverse inscription ” LB”, which means the second year of Claudius’s reign, or 268-269 CE. Claudius II Gothicus reigned from 268-270.
One interesting feature of this particular coin is that the back side appears to have been struck more than once, a manufacturing error that is also referred to as a double exposure. This occurs when the coin has duplicate images from being struck again, off center.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Arts of the Ancient Mediterranean and Byzantium

Artist

Ancient Egyptian

Title

Tetradrachm (Coin) Portraying Emperor Claudius II Gothicus

Place

Egypt (Minted in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

268 CE–269 CE

Medium

Billon

Inscriptions

Obverse: AVT K KΛAYΔIOC CEB Reverse: LB

Dimensions

Diam.: 2.1 cm (7/8 in.)

Credit Line

Gift of Robert L. Grover

Reference Number

1978.744

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/133564/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

Share

Sign up for our enewsletter to receive updates.
Learn more

Image actions

Share

Suggested Terms