I thought that this was worthy of sharing with you. I bought a lots of 12 coins (it was spooky to see Doug's thread on buying lots appear just after I bought this lot as I was contemplating the same thing...). I will be flipping the majority of the remainder of the lot as they are of little / no interest to me. This coin was my primary reason for buying the lot but there was another coin that also caught my eye making the highish price paid worthwhile. I have never managed to get a fraction of Dioceltian before and was unfamiliar with the reverse type. These are described as AE Fractions, denarius or quinarius which indicates some confusion with regards to the denomination. Diocletian - AE Fraction Ae Fraction, sometimes referred to as denarius / quinarius Obv:- DIOCLETI-ANVS AVG, laureate head right Rev:- VTILITAS PVBLICA, Utilitas standing facing, head left, hands in drapery. Minted in Rome (T in exergue). A.D. 294 - 295 Reference:- RIC VI Rome 48 (Rated R2). 1.43 gms. 16.68 mm Martin
Wow, nice find! I had a similar experience with a mixed lot of LRB's recently - came across this quarter follis of Maximian, also a rare, smaller denomination. Somebody on this forum bought it from me, I forget who, so I'm sorry if I'm stealing that person's thunder. Finding a rare coin in a lot of common ones is probably the most exciting experience to me as a collector. Maximianus, AD 286-305 Æ quarter follis, 19mm, 1.8g, 6; Siscia mint, AD 305. Obv.: IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS P F AVG; Laureate bust right. Rev.: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI; Genius standing facing, head left, modius on head, naked but for chlamys over left shoulder, patera in right hand, cornucopia in left // SIS Reference: RIC VI Siscia 146, p. 471
@maridvnvm What a FANTASTIC find! I know that Quinarii later in the Empire are very difficult to find. Martin, we must have had the same thoughts. I have been chasing Quinarii as one of my sub-sets of collecting. It is such an interesting and scarce denomination. I felt that I really lucked in to finding mine also. I just won this one on Roma: Roman Imperial Diocletian CE 284-305 Ӕ Quinarius 1.46g 16mm Rome mint IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG, Jupiter stndng thunderbolt sceptre RIC 193 RARE
Eric. I don't believe so. On other examples I have seen this appears to be an arm with drapery over it. Martin
