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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Ocatarinetabellatchitchix, post: 8227134, member: 99554&quot;]<b><span style="color: #ff0000">February 23</span></b>, 303 AD was not the most glorious day in the life of Diocletian. He&nbsp; ordered that the newly built Christian church in Nicomedia be razed to the ground, its scriptures burned, and its treasures seized. February 23rd was the feast of <i>Terminalia</i>, for Terminus, the god of borders. It was the day they would put an end to Christianity. The next day, the first &quot;Edict against the Christians&quot; of Diocletian is published. The edict prohibited Christians from gathering for worship and ordered the destruction of their scriptures, liturgical books and places of worship across the Roman Empire. But we won’t talk more about this sad day. Let’s rather focus on his coinage.</p><p><br /></p><p>l[ATTACH=full]1445807[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>At the end of the 3rd century, <b>Diocletian</b> tries to reestablish a tri-metallic gold/silver/bronze monetary system in what looks like a return to the system adopted by Augustus three centuries earlier and which had run into trouble during the 3rd century. In fact, the three metals had great difficulty coexisting, especially because of the gap that existed between the intrinsic value and the face value of deferred denominations. When he took power in 284 AD, the monetary circuits were clogged with these small billion coins with a low silver content which are the antoniniani and their imitations. Strictly speaking, silver had not been minted for half a century and gold coins were issued sporadically in varying weights. This gold coinage is the first to be adjusted. From 286 AD, the weight of the aureus is stabilized at 1/60 of a pound (5.45g), which is underlined by the symbol Σ (=60) affixed to the reverse of certain aurei. Multiples worth up to 10 aurei are occasionally minted for distribution to high-ranking officers as part of donatiua. Sub-multiples of the aurei (Half-aurei) are also emitted punctually.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1445804[/ATTACH]</p><p>NAC picture ( the epsilon symbol is retrograde)</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Around 293/294 AD, the minting of almost pure silver coinage was revived throughout the Empire. The argenteus is stuck to 1/96 of a pound (3.40g), as evidenced by the mark XCVI (=96) sometimes seen on the reverse. This is a return to the standards applied by Nero in 64 AD! Almost at the same time, a heavy piece of silvery bronze is created. This originally contained around 4 to 5% silver, as well as a significant proportion of lead and tin. Minted to 1/32 of a pound, it weighs around 10 g. Until the 1980s, this denomination was called follis; the term nummus is preferred today. The creation of the nummus is generally located in 294 AD, even if precise chronological markers are lacking.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1445806[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>CNG picture</p><p><br /></p><p>At that time, mints multiplied: up to 14 mints covered the Empire, from London to Alexandria. It should be noted that some regions, such as Italy or Gaul, have two workshops while others, such as Spain, do not. The coin marking system (workshop, officinaes or issues) intended to better control production is becoming more systematic. Coinage is now harmonized across the Empire. Egypt, which until then had operated in a closed circuit, adopted the nummus around 296-297 as part of the usurpation of Domitius Domitianus. At the same time, the heavy silvered bronze coin is introduced into Britannia after Constantinus Chlorus&#039; victory over Allectus.</p><p><br /></p><p>There are three very common themes on the coinage of <b>Diocletian</b> (and of the tetrarchs): Jupiter, Hercules and the Genius of the Roman people. The latter was proffered as a State cult that was as much devoted to patriotism and a sense of unity among the citizens of the Empire as it was devoted to actual tutelary spirits. With almost 200 different reverse types, collecting this Emperor’s coinage could be very interesting and challenging.</p><p><b>Please show me your Diocletian’s examples !</b></p><p><b><br /></b></p><p>I only have two folles in my collection:</p><p><br /></p><p>Antioch&nbsp; 27mm&nbsp; 11.11g</p><p>GENIO POPULI ROMANI</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1445805[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Rome 27mm&nbsp; 11.29g</p><p>SAC MON VRB AVGG ET CAESS NN</p><p>[ATTACH=full]1445808[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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