Description
The Regina Turdulorum Hoard (Casas de Reina, Badajoz) was buried with 818 imitative antoniniani of Divo Claudio type, minted in copper. The vast majority of the coins bear the reverse legend CONSECRATIO. This figure makes the Regina Turdulorum hoard one of the most important in Spain and Portugal. In numismatic terms, the most common reverse type is the funeral pyre, as opposed to the eagle. In addition to this main group, there is a second group, where there are curious imitations that follow various prototypes for the manufacture of the reverse. The study of the posthumous coinage of Claudius II and his imitations represents one of the most complex tasks in ancient numismatics. The work is considerably complicated by the fact that they are highly copied coins, which means that regular issues are very difficult to distinguish from the imitations. In this sense, the hoard provides vital information for the western monetary circulation of the Roman Empire, contributing to the debate on Gallic and African imitations. It also opens the way to the hypothesis that Hispania may have been another centre for issuing Divo Claudio imitations. Although the latter remains to be proven, the tentative and open nature of this book provides the opportunity to open new lines of study in the hope that they will be resolved sooner rather than later.
