I got this coin in a Czech auction. It was cheap and I even forgot that I bought it until it arrived today. When I placed the bit, I didn't realize that the reverse type is actually quite scarce. Obv.: IMP DIOCLETIANVS AVG Rev.: IOVI F-VLGERATORI In exergue: XXI A Mint: Rome, 1st officina Rare reverse type honouring Jupiter the slinger of thunderbolts RIC.166
Thanks a lot! I found another example on acsearch, sold by Harlan J. Berk. Its condition is worse than mine, but it sold for USD 500 (some 10 times what I paid)! https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=8554414 The Harlan J. Berk cataloger wrote: "Though this interesting type was valued at only 4 francs by Cohen, was called "common" by RIC, and was priced very moderately by Sear-12673, it actually seems to be quite rare, since CoinArchives and the Berk photofile contain not a single specimen. Apart from ours, the only actual specimen we came across was in the Mazzini Collection, pl. LXXIII, 289. However according to Pink\'s Gerin Catalogue of 1921, p. 212, n?. 41, the Gerin Collection contained specimens from three different officinae, not only officina G like ours but also officinae B and ?...." I don't think it is quite as rare as this entry suggest (3 pieces on Wildwinds), but it is certaintly scarce and mine is in the best condition of the four coins. The legend The FVLGERATORI-legend is by far the rarest of the IOVI legends on Diocletian's coins. The most common being: IOVI CONSERVATORI = Jupiter the preserver, and IOVI TVTATORI = Jupiter the guardian. The legend "IOVI FVLGERATORI" = "Jupiter the hurler of thunderbolds", does seem to be a bit of a departure from this theme. I think it was only used by Diocletian to mark his special connection to Jupiter and his cult. Besides the Antoniniani, the legend was also used on Aurei. I think the legend is a reference to the earliest Jupiter cult, which stressed the amospheric quality of Jupiter as Jupiter Tonans (Jupiter the thunderer). The depiction of IOVI FVLGERATORI on Diocletian's aurei includes a person surrounded by snakes as target of Jupiter's thunderbold. I suppose this person symbolizes evil, making Jupiter the vanquisher of evil. https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=6896845 The mint It looks like the type was only minted at Rome, perhaps in conjunction with festivities at the most important of all Jupiter temples on the Capitoline Hill. Harlan J. Berk's example has the mintmark gamma (3rd officina). The Wildwind exemplars have A, B and gamma. I'm not entirely sure with the reading of the officina on my coin. It could be A or delta, I'm leaing towards delta now, after closer inspection. The date The Harlan Berk coin was dated to 289. One of the Wildwind exemplar's was dated to 290. The aureus is dated to 287. So I suppose anywhere between 287 and 290 is possible. The dating is important. I first thought, that the Fulgeratori-series may by linked to the Jupiter temple at Diocletian's resedence in Split. But this temple was only built between 295 and 305.
Dirk, Nice score ! Great action scene on the reverse. I like the way his eagle is focused on the thunderbolt .
Thanks a lot. I also like how Jupiter's cape wraps around his arm and that it is long enough to break up the legend.
Here is another exemplar that I found on acsearch. It is in poor condition, but still fetched USD 255 https://www.acsearch.info/search.html?id=49097
I found the Diocletian Antoninian below. The reverse is not quite as rare as the IOVI FVLGERATORI reverse, but it is quite scarce I think. It shows the usual scene with Jupiter standing (with eagle), but here Jupiter is standing to the right. Usually, Jupiter is standing to the left. Note the very large flan Obv.: IMP DIOCLE - TIANVS AVG Rev.: IOVI CONSERVAT AVGG In exergue: XXIΓ Mint: Rome Year: 287 Measurements: 3.72g, 25mm, 6h RIC VI 165
