Writing up the description of a coin the other evening I realised that I did not know how the Antioch mint coins of Claudius II were arranged. The standard reference work Roman Imperial Coinage 5 part 1 does not go into such detail. I am familiar with the four issue arrangement at Rome where changes in both obverse legend and reverse type are employed to distinguish the series. Similarly I have access to many western hoard reports where the Western mints predominate and so have a reasonable working knowledge of Milan and Siscia too. With Antioch, however, that is not the case and the Eastern coins are scarce in Western contexts. For example the large antoninianus hoard from La Venera only had a single Antioch coin of Claudius II.
We are fortunate though to have the tentative reworking of RIC 5 part 1 by the Bibliotheque National to explore for the coins of Claudius II. It is from their work that it become quickly evident that, similar to Rome, there is a four issue or series arrangement during his relatively short reign 268-70AD.
The arrangement they use is much simpler than the arrangement at Rome and is based on the characteristics of the reverse type, although series 1 does apparently get split on the basis of obverse legend, the earliest coins having the longer imperial name as was then custom. Besides the four series grouping they also introduce a chronology for the series. The series are as follows:
Series 1, October 268 to end 269
The earliest coins have the obverse legend IMP C M AVR CLAVDIVS PF AVG, October to November 268; the later legend IMP C CLAVDIVS AVG running from late 268 to late 269. The later coins with the shorter obverse legend have an officina or workshop letter in the exergue on the reverse. From this it is apparent that there were 8 workshops operating at Antioch and each workshop numbered their products in Greek numerals.
Series 2, end 269 to early 270
The officina letters/numbers are replaced by a disc or large pellet. From now on it is not possible to distinguish what reverses are the product of which workshop.
Series 3, early to mid 270
The large pellet has gone and is replaced by nothing in the exergue. All the reverse types have a single standing figure.
Series 4, mid 270-end of reign (late summer 270)
Still no mark in the exergue, however, all the reverse types have two standing figures.
