A "Consolation" Purchase: My first Argenteus

My philosophy is to assume that whoever cleaned a particular coin before it came into my hands knew what they were doing and stopped where they did for good reason.

 

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First off, I'm extremely jealous and have wanted one of the type for a while, preferably with Diocles.
Best I can offer up:

View attachment 1385048
Diocletian
Heraclea, 295-298 AD. Æ antoninianus, 21 mm 2.98 g. IMP C C VAL DIOCLETIANVS P F AVG radiate, draped, cuirassed bust right / CONCORDIA MILITVM emperor standing right, holding parazonium, receiving Victory on globe from Jupiter standing left, holding scepter; HH between. RIC 13.

 

That's a lovely coin Donna, and an important part of the history of the tetrarchy's failed attempt to revive good silver in Roman commerce. Here is one of Galerius I currently have on consignment (not my coin)...



I'm surprised that the obverse and reverse devices don't interfere with each other, the flans being so thin!

As far as the black spot goes, I have a camel drachm of Trajan that has spots on the obverse similar to yours...



Not encrustations, but discolorations of the metal. I'm not sure if I should attempt to brighten them, but every time I look at the coin I feel like Lady Macbeth. Out damned spot, out I say!

 

The photo and description don't match - maybe you posted the wrong photo ?

That coin is Maximianus (IMP C M A MAXIMIANVS AVG), from Cyzicus c.293 AD (RIC V.2 Cyzicus 607).

There's a very useful article here - very specifically on the pre-reform CONCORDIA MILITVM antoniniani of Maximianus (!) - that corrects RICs mistakes and helps attribute these.

https://www.academia.edu/16308408/T...ir_Role_in_Diocletian_s_Reform_of_the_Coinage

 

I have a couple of argentei (?). I saw this one at a Winter FUN show just before the Pandemic. I bought this from Pegasi. It was marked with a high price, but they can down quite a bit when I asked about it. Looking back, I guess they were having a bit of a "going out of business sale" even then. This is the Western emperor, Maximian.

The piece has a small flan crack, but it very sharp and lustrous.



You can get the two emperors, Maximian and "the boss", Diocletian, and the two caesars, who reported to them, with this reverse, but that gets expensive. I bought a Diocletian, which is pricey, but he was an important historical figure.

 

Haha! You passed my test jk. Thanks for the heads up. it was a neighbor of his worth same reverse type. Post edited

 

@DonnaML , I respectfully suggest you do not try to remove the spots!!!

 

There seems to be a consensus, without dissent. I will leave the coin alone!

I took my own photo of the obverse today, by a window, and cropped it less than I usually do to try to give a better idea of what the coin looks like in hand.



This is what it looks like after removing the background, using the link that @Ryro gave the other day.

In either case, I think the spots really aren't very noticeable, and they're even less so when I hold the actual 19 mm. object in my hand.

All that aside, I love the coin. It does remind me of a non-debased denarius (Republican or early Imperial), except that it's thinner, weighing about a gram less than most of my denarii.

 

DIOCLETIAN, Argenteus
Rome, 295-297
2.85 g - 19 mm
Ex Triton VIII, 1204
S 12617 - C 517 - RIC VI 40a
DIOCLETIANVS AVG, Laureate head right
VIRTVS MILITVM, The four tetrarchs sacrificing over a tripod altar, before military camp gate with six turrets - B

 

Constantius I, as caesar; period of 294-May 305 AD; AR argenteus (3.3 gm). Obv: CONSTANT-IVS CAESAR; his laureate head, right. Rev: VIRTVS MILITVM. The four princes sacrificing over tripod before archway in eight-turreted enclosure. Not listed in RIC but a close variant of RIC VI, p.460, #44a, Siscia mint.

 

Wonderful detail, especially on the reverse. One can see the tetrarchs' clothing incredibly well. It appears to me that they're wearing military outfits with cloaks and perhaps helmets.

 

Congratulations on the new purchase! This is one of few threads I can participate in as I only have four Roman coins.

 

Great addition Donna! It just so happens that I also purchased my first argenteus this week.
Diocletian argenteus from Nicomedia

Not sure if this counts but I'm also throwing in my half argenteus of Constantine I.

 

Very nice! Great minds think alike, obviously. And it's another celebration of victory over those pesky Sarmatians, too. Interesting, though, how completely different the portraits are in style.

 

Do you know which mint it's from? I can't see a mint mark.

 

Yes! That's the fun thing about these argentei...there are so many varieties to collect. I have been trying for quite a while to obtain various argentei at auction but prices have been rather prohibitive. I won't say which mint is my favourite because I do not have it in my collection yet, but I will say that I was drawn to the portraiture of Nicomedia because I've always thought it resembled the statue of the tetrarchs in Venice.

 

Siscia. Here is the listing from CNG:

Diocletian. AD 284-305. AR Argenteus (18mm, 3.19 g, 6h). Siscia mint. Struck circa AD 294-295. DIOCLETI ANVS AVG, laureate head right / VIRTVS MILITVM, four tetrarchs sacrificing over tripod before city enclosure with eight turrets. RIC VI 43a; Jeločnik 3a; RSC 516†m.