Antonia Minor

Let's see your Antonia Minor coins or anything you feel is relevant!

Antonia was a central figure in the history of the Julio-Claudian dynasty. She was born about 36 BC, the younger of the two daughters of Marc Antony by Octavia, the sister of Augustus. Antonia married Drusus the Elder, the second son of Augustus' wife Livia and brother of the emperor Tiberius. She and Drusus had three children: Germanicus, the father of the emperor Caligula; Livilla; and the emperor Claudius.

She lived to see the accession of her grandson Caligula to the throne in AD 37, who at first conferred upon her the greatest honors, but afterwards treated her with so much contempt that her death in AD 39 was hastened by his conduct. According to some accounts, he administered poison to her.

Although Antonia was celebrated for her beauty, virtue, and chastity, the following conversation arose in a thread elsewhere that I don't want to hijack:

And I concede the portrait on the coin in question is not particularly flattering.

But she's not unattractive on this posthumous commemorative issued under her son, Claudius.


Antonia, Augusta AD 37 and 41.
Roman orichalcum dupondius, 12.10 gm, 28.3 mm.
Rome, AD 41-50.
Obv: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, bust of Antonia, draped and bare-headed right, hair in long plait.
Rev: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP S C, Claudius, veiled and togate, standing left, holding simpulum in right hand.
Refs: RIC 92; BMC 166; Cohen Antonia 6; RCV 1902; CBN 143; Carson 405.

But the artistry on coin portraits varies widely, with some portraits of fine style and others of ... well ... not so fine style. Statuary provides us with perhaps a fuller picture of her historical appearance. Here are some examples:


The so-called Juno Ludovisi bust of Antonia, Palazzo Altemps, Museo Nazionale Romano, Rome.


Oxford, Ashmolean Museum


Paris, Louvre

 

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There are people who select a spouse for reasons other than beauty. Antonia came with money, power and prestige. By many standards, she would have been considered very desirable even if she were not of the sweetest disposition or fair of face. On my coin, she seems cute except, perhaps, for some 'complexion' issues.

 

Another nice thread !!

here are mine:


Antonia
Daughter of Mark Antony, Wife of Nero Drusus, Mother of Claudius, Grandmother of Caligula
AR Denarius, Rome mint, AD 41-42
Obv: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right, wearing barley wreath
Rev: CONSTANTIAE AVGVSTI (consistency of the emperor), Antonia standing facing, draped as Constantia, long torch in right, cornucopia in left
Ag, 3.717g, maximum diameter 18.9mm, die axis 225deg
Ref.: RIC 66, BMCRE I Claudius 111, Cohen 2, SRCV I 1900, CRE 1 [R2]
Ex H.D. Rauch, Auction 64, December 1999, Lot 122
Ex Jyrki Muona Collection


Antonia
Dupondius, Rome Mint
Obv.: ANTONIA AVGVSTA, draped bust right.
Rev.: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG P M TR P IMP / S - C, Claudius, veiled and togate, standing left, holding simpulum.
AE, 11.62g, 27.8 mm
Ref.: RIC 92, C. 6, BMC 166

 

Thanks for the write up. I did not realize that she was the mother of Claudius. Did Claudius also have a daughter named Antonia? Did he issue coins in her name, too? Looks like I have misidentified this coin on my web site, as it appears to be the same coin as those posted above. (Please excuse the condition; I received this coin in a batch of uncleaned coins many years ago):

Claudia Antonia
Daughter of Claudius
Bronze Dupondius
Rome Mint, A.D. 41-50
Obv: ANTONIA AVGVSTA
Rev: TI CLAVDIVS CAES AVG P M TR P IMP - Claudius, veiled and togate, holding simpulum, facing left, between S and C
RIC (Claudius) 92
26mm, 10.3g.
Claudia Antonia was the daughter of Claudius I and cousin of Caligula. Married twice and widowed twice, she was supposedly asked by the Emperor Nero (also her cousin by marriage) to be his wife. When she refused, he had her accused of treason and executed.

 

Yes, he had a daughter named Claudia Antonia by his wife, Aelia Paetina. She is the half-sister of Claudia Octavia and Britannicus.

All coins portraying Claudia Antonia were struck by her father Claudius. In every case, she appears with her half-sister Octavia and/or her half-brother, Britannicus.

Coins portraying her are very rare. The British Museum collection has only a single coin depicting her -- on the reverse of this didrachm from Caesarea Mazaca.

 

I have a worn but still reasonably attractive as of Antonia Minor:

 

Antonia and her husband Nero Claudius Drusus , both coins issued by their son Emperor Claudius:

 

Claudius (41 - 54 A.D.)
Egypt, Alexandria
Billon Tetradrachm
O: TI KLA[UDI KAIS SEBA GERMANI AUTOKR], laureate head of Claudius right; LB to right.
R: ANTWNIA SEBASTH, draped bust of Antonia right, wearing hair in long plait.
Dated RY 2 (41/2 AD)
23mm
11.62g
Dattari 114; Milne 61-64; Emmett 73.

 

She does appear as an elegant lady here - dupondius struck by her dutiful , if not loving son Claudius.

 

Here is my example:

 

And her husband:


RIC Vol. I, CLAUDIUS, SESTERTIUS, Rome, No. 109, 42-43AD (38mm, 28.0gm)

Obverse depiction: Nero Claudius Drusus, bare head facing left

Inscription: NERO CLAVDIVS DRVSVS GERMANICVS IMP

Reverse depiction: Claudius seated left on curule chair holding olive branch, weapons and armor beneath

Inscription: TI CLAVDIVS CAESAR AVG PM TRP IMP PP - S C (exergue)

 

Nice pick up RC, love the patina.

Caligula, with Antonia, Æ22 of Thessalonica, Macedon. AD 37-41. Γ KAIΣAP θEΣΣAΛONIKEΩN, laureate head left / ANTΩNIA ΣEBAΣTH, veiled and draped bust of Antonia left, wearing stephane. RPC I 1574. 9.28g, 21mm, 12h.

 

In I, Claudius, Robert Graves portrays Antonia Minor as honorable and traditional, but verbally abusive to Claudius and resentful of his presence.

The introduction to my edition suggests that this reflects how Graves thought about his relationship with his own mother.

I don't have any coins of the Julio-Claudians yet unfortunately.

 

Antonia...

RI
ANTONIA Minor AVGVSTA
daughter Marc Antony wife Nero Claudius Drusus
AE Dupondius
28mm 11.8g
Togate holding simpulum S-C

 

I am honored to have been quoted in the original post!

 

..nice coins all of Antonia...her coins have slipped my grasp thus far...

 

You lecher!

 

Then there's this -- about Tony Bennett's daughter Antonia ...

 

..i've been called a lot of things...but that a 1st for that term....perhaps i should have said ive not acquired one of her yet..

 

Great coins all!

Here's my humble example, purchased last year