After managing to complete my Sestertius set last year, I decided to extend to the collection with a one-coin-per ruler set of the Tetrarchies next. I am not going to bother about different mints of officinae but just try to have a different reverse type for each ruler if possible. I have yet to read myself into the coinage of this time period but noticed that there are few different designs available. So as I start from scratch I would be glad for any suggestions of which typical, exclusive or interesting reverse types I should search for the respective rulers (for instance I do not want to end up with half a dozen GENIO POPVLI ROMANI coins). My first "LBR" (and first purchase of the year) is of Maxentius: IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG – Laureate head of Maxentius right / AETERNITAS AVG N MOSTΓ – The Dioskuri Castor and Pollux standing facing one another, each holding his bridled horse and resting on sceptre; between, she-wolf standing left, suckling the twins Romulus and Remus Æ Follis, Ostia mind, 3rd officina, AD 309 25mm / 5,64 gr / 12h RIC VI 16, Cohen 10, Sear 14976, Drost 17 b This is not as hefty or golden-toned as a Sestertius, but I think I got a historically significant item for just 29 Euros . Please post your coins of Maxentius, the Dioskuri, the She-Wolf and twins, an any suggestions for ideal ruler/reverse combinations I should look for next!
Here's my Dioscuri but without the wolf and twins. Here are some reverse ideas for the Tetrarchs: Diocletian: SACRA MONET because of all the economic changes the Tetrarchy made under his leadership, or else one of his retirement issues. Maximian: FELIX ADVENT AVGG N N with Africa, he lead the military expedition being celebrated, or else one of his "second reign" CONSERV VRB SVAE. Constantius: GENIO POPVLI ROMANI but from London specifically, he was made a Tetrarch for the express purpose of bringing Britain back into the empire. Galerius: GENIO IMPERATORIS or SALVIS AVGG ET CAESS FEL KART, he's the one who tried hardest to keep the Tetrarchy going after Diocletian's retirement.
Since you have both together and the twins alone, you need the Maxentius with wolf and twins but no Dioscuri. If I had one I would show it.
I'm also interested in the many, many types in of the Tetrarchies up to the sole reign of Constantine. 80% of these coins are Genio types and another 5% are SACRA MONETA types, So I'm focusing on the other 15%. Two Interesting types that are quite readily available are the IOVI and HERCULI types. The IOVI were struck for Jovian clan, Diocletian and Galerius, and the HERCULI types were struck for Maximianus Herculius and Constantius. Here are some examples, both from the Alexandria mint (but found with different styles at other mints as well): IOVI: IOVI CO-NS CAES. Jupiter naked standing, facing l. with scepter in r., holding globe atop which stands small figure of victory. RIC VI 41 (Alexandria) HERCULI: HERCVLI VICTORI. Hercules standing. Facing, head left, r. leaning on club, l. holding apples and with lion skin dropping from elbow. RIC VI 40 (Alexandria)
if anyone is interested in Maxentian coinage, you can't go wrong with this-- Le Monnayage De Maxence (306-312 APRES J.-C.) by Vincent Drost
Roman Imperial Maxentius 306-312 CE AE Folles Dioscuri holding their horses (She-Wolf must have run away
A fine new acquisition! And I agree, coins of the Tetrarchy and beyond are indeed an interesting collecting field. Maxentius, Roman Empire, AE1 ("follis"), 309–312 AD, mint: Ostia. Obv: IMP C MAXENTIVS PF AVG, laureate head right. Rev: AETERNITAS AVG N, the Dioscuri standing facing each other, each holding sceptre and the reins of his horse, mintmark MOSTQ. 24 mm, 5.38 g. Ref: RIC VI, 35 Q.
@dougsmit you are a great straight man. I've posted this before so forgive me. The SAECULI FELICITAS type is one of Maxentius many unusual types. One could amass a large collection of just maxentius reverses.