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<p>[QUOTE=&quot;Heliodromus, post: 8080469, member: 120820&quot;]The switch from the free-balling Genius of old to the modest one was a western thing that happened at the British and Gallic mints under control of Constantius I.</p><p><br /></p><p>Older depictions of Genius Pop. Rom. have him with with draped loins such as on this Hadrian aureus, but Diocletian&#039;s monetary reform had with himation (or whatever that piece of clothing is) draped over his shoulder instead, at all mints, and I don&#039;t think that ever changed in the east.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1402925[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The permanent switch from towel-over-shoulder to wrapped around waist first happened at Trier under Constantius I as augustus. Here&#039;s the before and after versions.</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1402926[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1402927[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>The draped loins version had very rarely been used earlier under Constantius at both London and Lyons, but very much as an exception. For example, here&#039;s one on a British Museum London coin from 297 AD (under Constantius I as caesar).</p><p><br /></p><p>[ATTACH=full]1402928[/ATTACH]</p><p><br /></p><p>Once the change had happened at Trier it was permanent, but the other western mints (London, Lyons) only followed a year or so later under Constantine I (vs is father). Constantine&#039;s first GPR issue at each of London &amp; Lyons have the old immodest Genius, then the second and subsequent ones have him covered up.</p><p><br /></p><p>It&#039;s certainly interesting why this change took place. Nowadays we might think of it as an issue of modesty, but I doubt Constantius did. Perhaps it was a return to a more traditional depiction (per Hadrians aureus, above) vs Diocletian&#039;s chosen one?[/QUOTE]</p><p><br /></p>

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