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Message:: [QUOTE="Heliodromus, post: 8227162, member: 120820"]Diocletian's c.294 AD monetary reform had introduced the pure silver argenteus and 5% silver nummus. [ATTACH=full]1445826[/ATTACH] But the nummus at ~10g was a fairly high denomination coin (valued at 25 DC, a day's wages for a farm laborer in Diocletian's c.301 AD edict on maximum prices), so at the same time he also introduced two smaller base metal lower denomination coins, the post-reform radiate (PRR) and post reform-laureate (PRL) to fill the gap (nummus ~27mm, PRR ~21mm, PRL ~15mm). The most common post-reform radiates were the same CONCORDIA MILITVM reverse type as the 5% silver pre-reform radiates, but now contained no silver and therefore lost their old XXI (20:1 bronze:silver ratio) marking and gained the new-fangled mintmark instead. [ATTACH=full]1445823[/ATTACH] The PRR likely was valued at 4 DC (as reflected in many cheaper items having that price in his edict on maximum prices), with the PRL valued at 2 DC (denarii communes). The radiate bust therefore kept it's old "double value" meaning with respect to the value of a PRR vs PRL. The post-reform laureates (most common type VTILITAS PVBLICA) were not continued for long, perhaps being rendered useless by inflation. The post-reform radiates didn't last too long either, and saw their last hurrah at Alexandria in 306 AD with the appearance of Constantine I as caesar. [ATTACH=full]1445824[/ATTACH][/QUOTE]