Claudius II Gothicus (AD 268-270) Antoninianus

Great portrait style and strike - weak reverse but does not take away from the obverse quality

Claudius II earned the title Gothicus after crushing a massive Gothic invasion at the Battle of Naissus in 269 AD, one of the few bright spots of the Crisis of the Third Century, before dying of plague after only two years on the throne. By his reign the antoninianus had been debased to a few percent silver, with only a thin surface wash giving it a silvery appearance. The FORTVNA REDVX type invokes the goddess of safe return, a prayer for the emperor's success on campaign.