Roman AE of Claudius II Gothicus (AD 268-270) NGC(AU)

Weight/Dimensions: 44.38 g | 3.4" L x 2.4" W x 0.4" H Grade Condition: (AU) Size: 17-21 mm Metal: Bronze Obverse: Portrait of the Emperor Reverse: Various reverses feature mythological and military themes. In the year 268, Caesar Marcus Aurelius Claudius Augustus, known as Claudius II Gothicus, assumed the Roman throne. Desperate for fresh army recruits, he decreed that young men remain unmarried, hoping that without the frivolous distraction of courtship, more of them would become soldiers. Enter that incarnation of romantic love, St. Valentine. Defying the new Emperor’s orders, Valentine performed secret marriages in the underground Christian community.