Tetrarchy. Coins.

This page has coins of AD 284-324, coins of
Diocletian and the tetrarchy.

TERMS: Prices are in brackets: [$xx]. I accept PayPal and prefer Zelle. Postage in the US is $2 for orders up to $25, $3 for orders up to $50, $4 for orders up to $100, and an additional $2 for each hundred thereafter. For shipping outside the US and for more-detailed terms of sale, see here. Coins are guaranteed genuine.

After I confirm by e-mail that I still have the coin, you can pay by logging into your account and sending PayPal or, preferably Zelle, payment to my e-mail address.
To order, or if you have questions e-mail me, Warren, at:

Purple marks items that have sold and are no longer available.

Recent: 2023, Nov. 25: Sold coins removed.
2023, Oct. 13: Rare Diocletian ant with three figures on the reverse.

Special coins: Maximian bust with club and lion-skin. Maximinus II as FIL AVG.

Skip past the newest and down to the tetrarchy in chronological order.

Maximian (286-305 and later)

Maximian
21-20 mm. 4.21 grams.
HERCVLI PACIFERO
Hercules standing left holding olive branch in right and club and lion-skin in left
Γ in field left, nothing in exergue.
RIC V.II Maximian 371, page 263 "Lugdunum, 288"
Bastien 95 p.134, 3rd emission, 4th officina (286 AD)
Sear 13131.
Good silver. Somewhat porous. Lots of reverse detail. [$35, reduced to $29]

Club and lion-skin!

Maximian, 286-305.
22 mm. 4.23 grams. Heavy with better silver than typical.

IMP C MAXIMIANVS AVGHERCVLI INVICTO AVGG
Hercules standing left holding Victory on globe, lion-skin over left arm, leaning on club.
S in left field, nothing in exergue.
Obverse: radiate bust left holding club over far shoulder, lion skin over near (his left) shoulder.
RIC V.II Maximian 367, page 263, "Lugdunum, 289"
Bastien 190 p.152, 5th emission, 2nd officina (287-289 AD).
Sear 13132.
Rare bust type. Lots of silvering. [$295, reduced to $235] Please compare with prices elsewhere.

Maximian
21-20 mm. 3.02 grams.
HERCVLI PACIFERO
Hercules standing left holding olive branch in right and club and lion-skin in left
Δ in field left, nothing in exergue.
RIC V.II Maximian 371, page 263 "Lugdunum, 288"
Bastien 95 p.134, 3rd emission, 4th officina (286 AD)
Sear 13131.
[$39, reduced to $34 SOLD]

Quarter Follis of Siscia
19 mm.
Maximian
IMP C MA MAXIMIANVS PF AVG
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
SIS
This is not the usual full-size follis, rarther the scarcer (but not rare) "quarter follis".
RIC Siscia 146, "R3" (RIC rarities are out of date.)
plate IX
Failmezger 29 [$16, reduced to $14]

[$39, reduced to $35] Maximian post-reform radiate. 20 mm.
VOT / XX in wreath, struck 297-8.
Vows for 20 years of reign (which is what Diocletian wanted and imposed)
RIC Rome 85b, "Scarce" and this officina is unlisted. (It is listed for nearby issues, but not this type.)
Should it be worth a lot more for being "not in RIC"? Maybe a little. If that appeals to you, and it does to most collectors somewhat, buy this one. Most collectors don't have any coins "not in RIC."

[$59, reduced to $32] Maximian, 286-305, struck posthumously, 317-318, by Constantine in his 3-emperor commemorative series.
AE 16. (small denomination) RIC Siscia 41, page 429, "r3" (extremely rare, but minor, variety).

Constantius, 293-305-306
20-19 mm
Struck as Caesar
IMP VAL CONSTANTIVS NOB C
VOT XX in wreath
No visible officina number
RIC VI Rome 87e variety. "c.297-8." Footnote 2 says some apparently have no officina number. [$49, reduced to $33]

VOT XX is hard to explain for Constantius with this date. It might be the vows of Diocletian (not Constantius) reconfirmed at year 15 (as proposed by RIC). It might be the coin is really from c. 303 (as the Carthage coins above) and this is vows suscepta for Constantius on the occasion of his ten-year vows. Of, it might be really from c. 303 and the vow number belongs to Diocletian. It is certainly the case that vow numbers can belong to the senior ruler and not the ruler named on the coin.

[$39, reduced to $25] Constantius I. Struck c. 297-8 at Rome. 19 mm. 3.14 grams.
VOT XX A in wreath.
RIC VI Rome 88a. page 360.
A reference to the "20 years" intended for the tetrarchy.
Rare. None on vcoins or MA-Shops as of this writing.

Galerius, 293-305-311
Struck at Ticinum
21-18 mm.
VOT X T
Vows for ten years of reign,
RIC Tic 39b "c. 299" Failmezger 22 "R" (rare)
[$12, reduced to $8 SOLD]

<Maxentius (306-312)

Maxentius. 306-312
half-follis. 20 mm. 3.13 grams.
VICTORIA AETERNA ANG N
Victory standing right inscribing shield with VOT X, captive below to left
R S
RIC Rome 227 "scarce" struck "c. 310"
[$59, reduced to $32]

Maximinus II (310-313)

Maximinus II, 305-306-313
MAXIMINVS•FIL•AVGG

•SM•TS•
RIC VI Thesalonica 32a page 514 "Scarce, Dec. 308-May 310."

The unusual title "FIL AVGG"!
See here for the story:

http://augustuscoins.com/ed/FILAVGG/

[$65, reduced to $55 SOLD]

Maximinus II, 305-310-313
19 mm.
Struck 305-306
quarter follis
GENIO POPVLI ROMANI
SIS for Siscia
RIC Siscia 171b
The short version of his obverse legend
MAMIMINVS NOB C [$33, reduced to $17]

[$39] Maximinus II, Daza. 305-310-313 AD.
Struck as Caesar, c. 305-6 at Aquileia. RIC VI Aquileia 68b "scarce" (I'd say "rare")
Large AE30-26. Horseman spearing fallen foe.
VIRTVS AVGG ET CAESS NN
Helmeted bust left with spear over far shoulder. The coin is a little less red than the image on my screen. Rare type (both obverse and reverse are unusual)

Civic Pagan Coins of the time of Maximinus II (c. 310)

[SOLD]

\Licinius (308-324)

Licinius I, 308-324
21-19 mm. 2.79 grams.
Radiate 12 1/2 denomination.
IOVI CONSERVATORI
Jupiter holding Victory, eagle and captive below.
X/IIΓ in field (12 1/2)
SMANTE

RIC Antioch 35
Lovely rust and black patina. [$26]

Licinius, 308-324
Radiate Fraction,
18 mm. 3.37 grams.
Alexandria, 321-324. IMP C VAL LICIN LICINIVS P F AVG Radiate, draped and cuirassed bust of Licinius I to right. Rev. IOVI CONSERVATORI AVGG / X / IIΓ / SMALB Jupiter standing front, head to left, holding Victory on globe in his right hand and long scepter in his left; at feet, eagle to left, holding wreath in beak; to right, captive seated right, his head turned back toward Jupiter. RIC Alexandria 28.
The X / IIΓ means 12 1/2, which is half of 25 and also 8 to 100, so it was probably an attempt to make a denomination fit with the coins (whichever they were) valued at 100 (denarii?).
I love the earthen highlighting. [$25]

[$39, reduced to $29] Licinius
19 mm. 3.61 grams
Struck at Heraclea 317
RIC Heraclea 17. Silvering. High grade.

Licinius II, 317-324
19 mm. Tiny head left with scepter and mappa, struck 317
RIC VII Heraclea 19
"Camp gate" PROVIDENTIAE CAESS, MHTDelta
very little wear, silvering mostly tarnished to glossy black
A really cute tiny head! Splendid! [$59, reduced to $47]

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