A pleasant surprise on a recently purchased imperial Roman coin

I am also very interested in the coins of Diocletian and the tetrarchies leading up to the sole reign of Constantine. I highly recommend RIC volume VI, Diocletian to Maximinus. The background sections on history, the different mints, and dating controversies are highly readable and filled with reference information that one who owns and buys coins like this will go back to over and over again. For about $40 it is essential in my mind. Also, @Valentinian has an excellent educational website that can be found here. The site contains lots of information on Greek and Roman coins but the pages on the coins of this era are particularly good.

Just to post a picture, here is a recently purchased coin in this general classification area that I just received in the mail:

This is an abdication follis issue of Diocletion from the Trier mint - Note the obverse legend "SEN AVG". A common coin but an interesting and important type.

 

Log in or Sign up to hide this ad.

Love the background on all of the coons but I wonder how much the general citizen understood the political messaging or PR. Was this aimed mostly at the literate elites who, after all, could cause the most trouble?

 

I must say that of all the lovely coins in this thread, this is the most inspirational to me. The powerful obverse style is magnificent, not to mention perfect centering and early die state, but style always rules.

 

That is a real beauty! It is not only unworn, but has a remarkably strong strike. Congratulations!

 

Thanks! You've mentioned all the reasons I used as justification for the purchase (I also found the beard curls particularly persuasive). I believe there are a few other members who haven't posted their very nice argentei yet. @Cucumbor has a real jaw-dropper of a Constantius for one.

 

Some exceptionnal examples allong this thread, folks.

@zumbly being kind enough to mention my Constantius' argenteus, here it is, together with coins of the other tetrarchs

Diocletian, argenteus, Nicomedia mint :


Maximianus, follis, Lyon mint :


Constantius, argenteus, Antioch mint :


Galerius, follis, Heraclea mint :


Q

 

A great beauty! Wow! The finest surface-silvering I have seen. Truly wonderful.

 

Here is a Constantius argenteus from Serdica.


20-19 mm. 3.41 grams.
Constantius as Augustus, thus 305-306.
VIRTVS MILITVM, gate with three turrets
•SM•SDΔ•
RIC VI Serdica 11a "r4", only this one officina, "305-6" but many argentei have been discovered since RIC VI was written.

For much more about argentei, see my page:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/argenteus/

and for more about coins of the tetrarchies, see this page with many links:
http://augustuscoins.com/ed/tetrarchy/extra.html

 

I’ll have to remember to mention all four of those next time. Really, Q, those are all just... wow!

 

The first one is in such great shape ..great coin with very interesting reverse