Roman Imperial Claudius

The unusual personification on the reverse of this coin has a special reference to Claudius. Constantia represents courage or perserverance in civil life, the quality that had enabled Claudius to bear the trials of his early years; he was ostracised by his family because he was afflicted with a limp, a stammer, and slight deafness. Suetonius writes that his mother, Antonia, described him as portentum hominis [monster of men]. Despite such disdain from his kin, Claudius was popular with the Roman people, and enjoyed a reign of thirteen years; far longer than his contemporaries seem to have expected.

Dio Cassius also reports that in AD 47, Asinius Gallus conspired against Claudius and was banished, rather than executed [LX.27]. The reverse type may be alluding to the strength of Claudius’ resolve in the face of this betrayal.