Diocletian's gold coinage was restructured as part of his sweeping monetary reforms of 294–296, which introduced the new aureus struck at 60 to the pound rather than the debased standards of the third-century crisis. Treveri — modern Trier — had become one of the most important mints in the western empire by this point, positioned to supply the Rhine frontier armies directly. This piece dates to just after Constantius I's campaign to recover Britain from the usurper Allectus, a moment when the Trier mint was operating at high output to fund military operations.
RIC VI 36a is among the better-documented emissions from this reign at Trier. The Beaurains hoard reference connects it to one of the most significant late Roman gold hoards ever found, buried near Arras around 315 and discovered in 1922.
Diocletian's gold coinage was restructured as part of his sweeping monetary reforms of 294–296, which introduced the new aureus struck at 60 to the pound rather than the debased standards of the third-century crisis. Treveri — modern Trier — had become one of the most important mints in the western empire by this point, positioned to supply the Rhine frontier armies directly. This piece dates to just after Constantius I's campaign to recover Britain from the usurper Allectus, a moment when the Trier mint was operating at high output to fund military operations.
RIC VI 36a is among the better-documented emissions from this reign at Trier. The Beaurains hoard reference connects it to one of the most significant late Roman gold hoards ever found, buried near Arras around 315 and discovered in 1922.