This one took me a while to attribute, while it was semi correct. It wasn't complete. It was a small feat to put all the letters together, I am getting better at it. This one has a lot of details and devices that I was unfamiliar with so took me a few. Diocletian AE Follis. 305-306 AD. D N DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG, laureate bust right in imperial mantle, holding olive branch and mappa PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG, Providentia standing facing right, extending right hand to Quies, facing left, holding branch and sceptre. S-F across outer fields, officina letter B in lower centre. Mintmark dot SM dot SD dot. RIC VI Serdica 15a; Sear 12940.
Great coin! Here's my only Abdication Follis (reverse legend QVIES AVG, Quies being the personification of retirement/voluntary abdication, apparently, since there had to be a personification/deity for everything!). This one for Maximian's second retirement! He tried to come back a third time. Either Constantine killed him or drove him to suicide. If you have a JSTOR (free w/ email registration), I recommend: E. A. Sydenham. 1934 "The Vicissitudes of Maximian after his Abdication," Numismatic Chronicle 14 (55): pp. 141-167. https://www.jstor.org/stable/42660879 I just showed it recently, but what's one more? Maximianus Herculius (second reign 306-308) AE Follis (26mm, 6.16g). Treviri, after Nov. 308 CE. Obv: MAXIMIANVS PF AVG. Laureate and cuirassed bust right. Rev: QVIES AVG / S–A / PTR. Quies standing facing, head left, holding branch in her right hand and sceptre in her left. Ref: RIC VI, p. 218, 788; C 494; Sear IV, p. 176, 13417; Vagi 2770; OCRE (RIC 788, 4 specs., 2 ill.). Prov: Reportedly ex-E. A. Sydenham (1873-1948) Collection (Glendining & Co, 24 Nov 1948, Lot 826 part, no. 5 of 32). Ex-Naville Numismatics 67 (1 Aug 2021), Lot 554.
Let's face it, anybody who doesn't want to retire to a seaside palace in Croatia and grow cabbages is frankly delusional about the best way to spend their autumn and winter years. Maximian should have taken lessons from Diocletian! Nice coin, great provenance.
Here's my favorite abdication issue-- Though RIC attributed this issue to Trier, it is actually from Cyzicus. See the president's address of J.P.C. Kent in Numismatic Chronicle 1987. Apparently, an engraver at Cyzicus copied the design from Trier and even included the Trier mintmark (PTR), then had to squeeze in the Cyzicus mintmark (KS) between the figures on the reverse. Diocletian A.D. 305- 307 Ӕ Follis 27mm 7.6g D N DIOCLETIANO BEATISSIMO SEN AVG; Laureate and mantled bust r., holding olive-branch and mappa. PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG; Providentia standing r., extending hand to Quies standing l., holding branch and leaning on scepter, KS between; S-F across fields. In ex. PTR RIC VI Trier 671
"Hello fellow Diocletian's, I heard there is a retirement party going on, may I join?" "Oh me?, I am from Alexandria." Diocletian, As Senior Augustus, (305-311/2 A.D.) Æ Follis Abdication Issue O: D N DIOCLETIANO BAEATISS, laureate bust right, wearing imperial mantle, holding olive branch and mappa. R: PROVIDENTIA DEORVM, Providentia standing left, extending branch to Quies standing opposite who holds a scepter; Є/KP between, ALE in exergue. Alexandria mint, struck A.D. 308-310. 6.55g 26mm RIC VI 109
here's two from London-- Diocletian A.D. 305- 307 Ӕ follis 26x28mm 9.9g D N DIOCLETIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG; Laureate and mantled bust r., holding olive-branch and mappa. PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG; Providentia standing r., extending hand to Quies standing l., holding branch and leaning on scepter. RIC VI London 77a and the Emperor who just would not retire Maximianus A.D. 305-307 Ӕ follis 27x28mm 9.4gm D N MAXIMIANO FELICISSIMO SEN AVG; Laureate and mantled bust r., holding olive-branch and mappa. PROVIDENTIA DEORVM QVIES AVGG; Providentia standing r., extending hand to Quies standing l., holding branch and leaning on scepter. No mintmark RIC VI London 77b
