A "Consolation" Purchase: My first Argenteus

I've wanted an Argenteus depicting the four tetrarchs sacrificing for a long time, and finally decided to buy one after losing out badly on the Volteius snake biga denarius -- another coin I've very much wanted for quite a while -- in the Soler y Llach auction the other day. So this coin becomes a very nice self-awarded consolation prize. And it cost me less than half of my maximum bid on the Volteius -- a bid that was itself less than half of the hammer price. Just think of all the extra money I now have!

Diocletian, AR Argenteus, ca. AD 295, Heraclea Mint (1st Officina). Obv. Laureate head right, DIOCLETI-ANVS AVG / Rev. The four tetrarchs [the Augusti Diocletian and Maximian, and the Caesars Constantius Chlorus and Galerius], draped, sacrificing over a tripod altar, two of them on each side, before military camp gate with six turrets (four in front and two in rear), VICTORIA-SARMAT [referring to victories over the Sarmatians*]; in exergue, H A [Heraclea, 1st Officina]. RIC VI Heraclea 6 [see http://numismatics.org/ocre/id/ric.6.her.6], RSC V Diocletian 488j, Sear RCV IV 12612. Purchased from Kenneth W. Dorney, Oct. 2021. Ex. Ira & Larry Goldberg Auction 90, 2 Feb. 2016, Lot 3274. 19 mm., 2.70 g.

Ken Dorney photo:



Ira & Larry Goldberg photo:



*See Stephen Williams, Diocletian and the Roman Recovery (Routledge, 2000) at p. 76 (preview at Google Books): “In 294 Diocletian launched a fresh offensive against the main body of the Sarmatians. . . . By the latter half of 294 they [the Sarmatians] had sustained such a defeat that they ceased to be a threat for many more years. Sarmatian warriors were taken into the Roman armies in large numbers, either as mercenaries or under treaty, and later fought well under Galerius against the Persians.”

Head on, the coin looks more like the Goldberg photo, but viewed at a slight angle, one can see the rainbow-ish toning visible on the Dorney photo. More importantly, the black spots above Diocletian's head and by his nose are essentially invisible in hand (after all, the coin is only 19 mm), and are only noticeable under magnification. They appear to be flush with the surface of the coin, rather than being any kind of encrustation. Should I leave them alone, or is there anything I should try to do to get rid of them?

Finally, I added an OCRE citation to the RIC citation, so nobody can think I"m being unduly credulous!

Please post your own argentei, from any of the tetrarchs, from any of the different mints that issued them, and with any of the various reverse legends and/or types.

 

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It's a great-looking coin. Congrats, Donna.

 

That's a great "consolation" purchase Donna, enjoy and keep looking for the ones you need/want

 

Wow Donna, that is truly exceptional. A really nice provenance too!

 

Gulp

 

I lost out on a coin at auction earlier today ... picked up a 'consolation' coin too. Although, it isn't as nice as that!

 

very nice coin Donna!...i really don't see too many of those...

 

Wonderful piece, a fine addition!

 

Nice one! I'm still missing a Diocletian to complete a set of an argenteus for each of the first four tetrarchs, but my Galerius is the same reverse type.


GALERIUS
AR Argenteus. 3.36g, 18.4mm. Rome mint, circa AD 295-297. RIC 35b. O: MAXIMIANVS CAES, laureate head right. R: PROVIDENTIA AVGG, the four Tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod before city enclosure; Γ in exergue.

 

I take it that nobody thinks I should try to clean the black stains/spots on the obverse? I certainly wouldn't want to damage the coin in any way.

 

Great coin @DonnaML . These argentii are cool on a number of levels. These are some of the few coins from the later empire that rival the denarii of the early empire for style.

Here is my example from the Ticinum mint.

Roman Empire
Diocletian (AD 284-305)
AR Argenteus, Ticinum mint, struck ca. AD 294
Dia.: 20 mm
Wt.: 2.92 g
Obv.: DIOCLETI-ANVS AVG; Laureate bust right
Rev.: VIRTVS MILITVM; Tetrarchs sacrificing in front of fort with 6 turrents
Ref.: RIC VI 14a, R3

 

I think you answered your own question:
"the black spots are essentially invisible in hand, and are only noticeable under magnification."

 

If you want to try there's a spot at 4 hours on the edge of the obverse. That may forgive any errors. But if you don't know which chemical to use, better leave it alone...

If you say these are not deposits there is a chance that this is uneven toning developing, then you will see other spots appearing... Toning can be removed easily.

 

You're right, I have no idea what I would use. I don't see any more spots in the 2021 photo than in the 2016 photo, by the way, so if it is toning it's certainly taking a while!

 

This would be difficult to clean without harming the patina

 

That's beautiful!

 

So is this one!

 

Nice one @DonnaML
I've always liked argentei very much, exactly for their similarities with earlier denarii. I've had three of them through time (Diocletianus, Maximianus and Constantius) but parted with the Maximianus, since it was of far lesser preservation than the two others (I somewhat regret it to be honest). As a side note, for years the Constantius has been the most expensive coin in my collection.

I have yet to take better pictures of them, those are too shiny...


Diocletianus, Argenteus - Nicomedia mint, 3rd officina, AD 295-296
DIOCLETI ANVS AVG, Laureate head of Diocletian right
VICTORIAE SARMATICAE, The tetrarchs sacrifying before a campgate. SMNΓat exergue
3.3 gr
Ref : RCV # 12615 (1000), Cohen #491 var,



Constantius, Argenteus - Antioch mint, 8th officina, c. AD 296-297
CONSTANTIVS CAESAR, Laureate head of Constantius right
VIRTVS MILITVM, Campgate, *ANTH* at exergue
3.40 gr
Ref : Cohen #318, RCV # 13966 (1100)

Q

 

Great new coin Donna. With regard to the black specks, I think if you tried to remove them by soaking in lemon juice or something like that I'm afraid the toning (which is attractive) might be damaged.

 

Congrats on the Argenteus - Ken Dorney wins the photo competition from my point of view.

I like this mindset - I am now considering all the coins I can buy with the money I will save by not purchasing an Eid Mar denarius. I don't have a Diocletian - here's a Galerius.

Galerius, as Caesar, AD 293-305, AR Argenteus, Rome mint, struck circa AD 294
Obv: MAXIMIANUS CAES, laureate head right
Rev: VIRTVS MILITVM, Diocletian, Maximian, Constantius Chlorus, and Galerius, draped, sacrificing over tripod; behind, gate in a six-turreted enclosure
Ref: RIC VI 29b (R2)

I will add another vote to leave the spots alone - more likely to harm a nice looking coin that to make it better.