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| Issuer | Roman Imperial Mint |
|---|---|
| Year | 284-294 |
| Type | Log in to see details |
| Value | Log in to see details |
| Currency | Log in to see details |
| Composition | Log in to see details |
| Weight | Log in to see details |
| Diameter | Log in to see details |
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| In circulation to | Log in to see details |
| Reference(s) | RIC V.2#301D, OCRE#ric.5.dio.301 |
| Obverse description | Log in to see details |
|---|---|
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| Obverse lettering | Log in to see details |
| Reverse description | The personification of Roma seated left on a throne, helmeted and draped, holding a small Victory in her extended right hand and a long scepter or spear in her left hand; a round shield stands behind her to the left. The composition conveys the eternal power and prestige of the city of Rome, a common propagandistic theme on Diocletianic gold coinage. The reverse legend is disposed in two lines within the field or along the periphery within a beaded border. |
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| Mintage | ND (284-294) |
| Additional information |
Diocletian's early aurei, struck before the monetary reforms of 294 that introduced the new gold standard and redefined imperial coinage, occupy an awkward transitional moment. The pre-reform aureus floated at inconsistent weights across mints — a deliberate flexibility that reflected the empire's fragmented financial administration rather than any minting error. By the time the reform landed, these pieces were effectively superseded, which likely curtailed their circulation and helps explain survival in relatively unworn condition.
RIC V.2 301D places this piece within the Rome mint's output during that window. The ROMAE AETERNAE reverse type was politically charged — Diocletian was actively reconstructing imperial ideology after decades of crisis-era instability.