Diocletian (284-305) reformed the coinage c. 293-4 by introducing some new denominations, including the "follis" (possibly known as a "nummis" in antiquity). It is a big coin of c. 27-28 mm and was surface-silvered to bring its silver content up towards 5%. The GENIO POPVLI ROMANI type is very common and remarkably inexpensive. This one came last week. Galerius as Caesar. 28-26 mm. Follis. 8.52 grams. 5:00 die-axis. Some surface-silvering remains. GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES, laureate head right GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing holding patera and cornucopia. ANT• in exergue, A in right field RIC VI Antioch 59b, page 621. "c. 304-305". The portraits at Antioch are in slightly higher rounded relief than elsewhere. That spherical projection into the third dimension allows the mint of Antioch to be identified in-hand by the obverse alone, although I admit it is hard to see in this 2-D photo. If you want some impressive coins at an affordable price, consider the series of post-reform folles, especially those with the GENIO POPVLI ROMANI type. Show us some folles of Antioch, or of Galerius, or any GENIO POPVLI ROMANI coin you like.
Maximianus Herculius Follis Obv:– IMP C M AVR VAL MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, Laureate, draped and cuirassed bust right Rev:– GENIO IMP-ERATORIS, Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia Minted in Antioch (_ | Theta / E //ANT Dot). Early to Later A.D. 309 Reference:– RIC VI Antioch 112c (R) (Citing Oxford; Apparently a rare issue for Maximianus Herculius and only issued from this officina) 6.39 gms. 26.19 mm. 0 degrees. Better than the RIC plate coin (reverse only illustrated). From RIC Notes "A very remarkable innovation, peculiar to this issue, is the reappearance of Herculius (with the long legend Imp C M Aur Val Maximianus P F Aug matching those of Galerius and Licinus, and with cuirassed bust) on rare coins with Genio Imperatoris; this is parallelled at the same time (see RIC VI page 656). Expelled from Italy c. April 308, and rejected at the Carnuntum conference in November 308, Herculius had received ample share in the coinage of Constantine's mints, and it seems that Maximinus (now antagonisitc to both Galerius and Licinius) may have been momentarily willing to demontsrate his hostility by including the name of the man who might still play and anti-Galerian part in the west."
Nice ones Here are some of my examples Diocletian, Follis - Trier mint, 1st officina, c. AD 303-305 IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG, laureate and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, head towered, wearing chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera in right hand, left cornucopiae; S | F in field, PTR at exergue 11.97 gr 29 mm Ref : RIC VI, Trier, 582a, RCV # 12763v, Maximianus, Follis - Antioch mint, 3rd officina, AD 298 IMP C MA MAXIMIANS P F AVG, Laureate bust of Maximianus right GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, ANT at exergue, two stars, cressent and Γ in field 10.78 gr Ref : Cohen #184, RCV # 13273 (80), RIC VI # 50b Constantius, Follis - Trier mint, 1st officina, AD 305-306 IMP CONSTANTIVS PF AVG, Laureate and cuirassed bust of Constantius right GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia. S | F in field, PTR at exergue 11.09 gr Ref : RCV # 14176 (100), Cohen #116, RIC VI # 642a Galerius, Follis - Trier mint, c. AD 303-305 MAXIMIANVS NOBIL C, laureate and cuirassed bust right. GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, head towered, wearing chlamys over left shoulder, holding patera in right hand, left cornucopiae; S | F in field, PTR at exergue 8.41 gr 28 mm Ref : RCV # 14349 (90), C # 83, RIC VI, Trier, 594b Severus II, Follis - Heraclea mint, 6th officina, c. AD 306-307 IMP C FLA VAL SEVERVS P F AVG, Laureate head of Severus II right GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera and cornucopia. HTζ at exergue 9.90 gr Ref : RCV # 14673v, Cohen - Constantine the Great, as Ceasar, Follis - Trier mint, 1st officina, in 306-307 AD FL VAL CONSTANTINVS NOB C, Laureate and draped bust of Constantine right GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left holding patera and cornucopia. S A in field, PTR at exergue 9.21 gr, 29 mm Ref : RC #3833, Cohen #218 Q
That is a really special coin. The post-abdication issues for Maximian help illustrate his fascinating attempt to return to power. You quoted RIC's possible explanation for this rare type. I wonder there has been more about it since 1973 when RIC VI was published.
I can add to this My son and I have 2 in our collection. One that was gifted to help us learn to ID and then another that we bought at the Annapolis coin show a few weeks back. Maximian Herculius. Antioch. 300-301 AD. AE Follis. IMP CMA MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right GENIO POPV-LI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder (falls low), holding patera from which liquid flows, and cornucopiae. Delta-Epsilon across fields. Mintmark: ANT Maximianus: 297-298 AD. AE Follis, Heraclea Mint IMP CMA MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right GENIO POPV-L-I ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, naked except for chlamys over left shoulder (falls low), holding patera from which liquid flows and cornucopiae. Mintmark HTA
My favorites of this group are the few that retained the XXI purity mark showing the alloy was 4.7% silver. They were also silver washed. Diocletian Alexandria Galerius Siscia
I have one from Antioch! Galerius as caesar, 293 – 305 AD, Æ Follis GAL VAL MAXIMIANVS NOB CAES Laureate head r. Rev. GENIO POPV – LI ROMANI Genius standing l., with modius on head and naked but for chlamys , holding patera and cornucopiae; S in r. field, D in l. field, ANT In exergue, Antioch, 28 mm, 9.9g, RIC 53b.
Show stopper of a coin right there. And a big un ta boot. Congrats! #noobquestion What does the "5:00 die-axis" refer to or mean?
If the top of the obverse is at noon, the top of the reverse is at 5 o’clock... when you spin the coin in your fingers one side to the other with a stationary axis. Don’t know if I explained that clearly...
You'll see it represented also like "5h". So 12h here means the obverse and reverse are aligned... Flip it over and you don't need to rotate it to make the reverse straight up and down. 6h means obverse and reverse are complete opposite rotation.
As @Orange Julius said, it refers to the orientation of the reverse when the obverse is upright. Hold the coin in your left hand with index finger at 12:00 and thumb at 6:00. Use your right hand to turn it around that axis. Where is the top of the reverse then? Many coins have die-axis 6:00 (= 6h). That means the reverse is upside down when the obverse is right-side up. (If you orient it with the reverse upright and do the same thing, the obverse orientation will give the same die axis.)
I have just a couple of them. Maximianus, 286-305 AD AE follis, 9.9 gm, 27 mm Obv: IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS PF AVG, laureate head right Rev: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left holding cornucopia and pouring from a patera; XXI in left field, E in right field, ALE in exergue Mint: Alexandria Ref: RIC VI 30b Diocletian CE 302-303, Antioch AE follis, 27 mm, 9.57 gm Obv: IMP C DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right Rev: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, naked but for chlamis covering shoulders and modius on head, holding cornucopia and pouring from a patera; K in left field, Δ/V in right field; ANT in exergue Ref: RIC VI 56a Secret Santa gift from @@Pishpash
Attached are a few favorite folli from my collection. Diocletian, Trier Mint, 10.61 gm. Diocletian, Lyon Mint, 10.12 gm. Constantius as Caesar, Lyon Mint, 9.61 gm. Constantius as Caesar, London Mint, 8.99 gm. Maximian, London Mint, 9.67 gm.
Since I do not foray much into the Empire, I only have a couple: RI Maximinus II Daia 305-308 CE Folles AE30 Trier mint GENIO POPV-LI Genius-Serapis stndg RI Maximinus II Daia 305-308 CE AE20 GENIO POPVLI Genius stndg bust of Sol cornu star H RIC IV 164b RI Severus II 306-307 CE AE18 GENIO POPVLI Quarter Folles Siscia mint
MAXIMIANUS AE Follis OBVERSE: IMP C MA MAXIMIANVS P F AVG, laureate head right REVERSE: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, holding patera & cornucopia, Delta to right, dot TS dot in ex. Struck at Thessalonica, 302/3 AD 10.3g, 27mm RIC VI 25b SEVERUS II Quarter Follis OBVERSE: SEVERVS NOB C, laureate head right REVERSE: GGENIO POPVLI ROMANI, Genius standing left, modius on head, with chlamys over l. shoulder, patera & cornucopiae; SIS in ex. Struck at Siscia 305-6 AD 2.3g, 20mm RIC VI Siscia 171a
Thank you. References to die axis and notations like "0°, 180°", etc. I could follow, but that little "12h, 5h" abbreviation eluded me.